Gerwyn Davies, senior labour market analyst at the CIPD, said:

“While today’s figures show a welcome increase in the number of people in employment among those aged 25 to 64, the real concern is the very sharp decline in employment of young people at a time when a new cohort of college and university leavers are looking for jobs.

“Given we know that overall employment prospects are likely to deteriorate considerably over the next few months as a result of the closure furlough scheme and economic conditions, the Government will need to consider additional support beyond Kick Start to boost the job prospects of 16-24 year-olds. For example, there is a need to boost investment in life-long learning and provide further bespoke support for the unemployed including employability skills development and jobs brokerage support.

“There is also a strong case for the Government to consider a short time working subsidy for the worst hit sectors to protect employment levels over the winter.”

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