A Resolution Foundation survey of 6,000 workers reveals that thirty per cent of those in the lowest income bracket had been affected by the damage done to the employment market by the coronavirus pandemic, compared with only ten per cent of those in the top fifth of earners.
Almost a third of Britain’s lowest-paid workers have lost their job or been furloughed in the past two months
The report shows that across the whole workforce, around 18% per cent of workers had lost work or been furloughed, including 25% of private sector workers. However, only 3% of those in the top income group had lost their jobs, with a further 6% being furloughed.
There was also a lower than expected take-up for the government scheme for the self-employed, which offers grants of up to £7,500 for three months. Almost a third of the self-employed believing they were ineligible
Resolution Foundation economist Hannah Slaughter said: ”the jobs crisis is far from over, with around one in seven workers still fearing they could lose their jobs in the coming months. We now need to see new measures – including job guarantees for young people – to tackle the high levels of joblessness that are likely to be with us long after the pandemic has subsided.”
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