Trade body responds to the latest employment data

With the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing a slowdown in vacancy recovery in the UK for Q4 last year, but pockets of resilience in areas such as the South East, Tania Bowers, Legal Counsel and Head of Public Policy at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), has commented:



“While we fully expected there to be an initial decline in employment and vacancy statistics towards the end of last year as the UK continued to battle with tiered restrictions, the figures suggest the furlough scheme has provided some security, particularly for areas such as the South East which faced particularly strict restrictions.”



“The roll out of the vaccination programme is certainly set to bolster confidence to some degree, but APSCo continues to urge the Government to reconsider how and when the current support will be removed for UK employers and workers. The furlough scheme in particular has proven a lifeline for many individuals and struggling employers. In order to provide security and prevent employees, workers and the self-employed from facing a ‘cliff edge’, it’s crucial that support isn’t prematurely or suddenly withdrawn and is, instead, managed in a structured way.”

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