With vacancies at record highs and one million fewer people in the labour force than if pre-pandemic trends had continued, the UK is facing an increasingly severe labour shortage.  Unemployment might be below pre-pandemic levels, but employment is still lower than it was. The reason is an increase in people leaving the labour force altogether, in particular a rise in economic inactivity among the over 50 and for people citing long term sickness. How do trends in the UK’s labour market since the pandemic compare to other countries? And what should the Government do to boost growth and increase employment to ease labour shortages?

At this event, we’ll share the findings of our new analysis of the UK’s labour market and explore how it compares to other countries with similar economies. We will be joined by Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Jonathan Ashworth MP to outline how the Labour Party would respond to this workforce crisis. We will then open the floor to a discussion and Q&A on how we can support people who want to return to work to find jobs while helping employers meet their recruitment needs.