Almost three million people will be unemployed by Christmas, according to a shocking prediction, with about 1.5million set to lose their jobs before the end of the year. This came ahead of an announcement expected today that restrictions will require some firms to close in outbreak areas. The Government announced the first furlough scheme in March after the country went into a nationwide lockdown and many companies were forced to essentially go into hibernation - particularly if their employees could not work from home. The scheme is, therefore, unlikely to prevent a major loss of jobs.’Redundancies have already risen at their fastest pace for more than a decade. According to the Office for National Statistics, the total number of workers on company payrolls dropped by almost 700,000 between March and August.

Source: Daily Mail October 11, 2020 23:01 UTC