Jonathan Reynolds responds to ONS Labour market figures

Jonathan Reynolds MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, responding to ONS Labour market figures, said:

“The Government’s failure to secure the recovery has seen record long term unemployment. Nearly half a million people have been unemployed for a year yet the Restart jobs scheme has been live for just three days.

Labour has a plan to buy, make and sell more in Britain so we can create the jobs of the future, nurture the skills we need and get our economy firing on all cylinders. Labour's jobs promise would guarantee a job or training opportunity for any young person away from work or education for six months, and ensure no one is away from work for more than a year.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• At the 2020 Spending Review, the chancellor allocated £2.9 billion for the new Restart Scheme, which will give Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for between 12 to 18 months enhanced support to find jobs. The scheme expected referrals to providers from 12 July 2021.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restart-scheme/how-the-restart-scheme-will-work

• 449,000 people have been out of work for 12 months, the highest since 2016

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/datasets/unemploymentbyageanddurationseasonallyadjustedunem01sa