The London Assembly, the cross-party 25 member elected body that holds the Mayor of London to account, has responded to London’s latest unemployment data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today.
Between June and August 2020, the unemployment rate across the UK rose to 4.5%. Since March 2020, London saw the biggest fall in pay-rolled employees (-146,000) compared to other regions in the UK. [1]
Léonie Cooper AM, Chair of the London Assembly Economy Committee said,
“The unemployment figures released by the ONS today show the true extent of the impact that COVID-19 has had on our economy so far. The Mayor must continue to work with the Government to ensure that the right policies are in place to protect jobs in the capital, across all sectors.
“London accounted for close to 12 per cent of the UK’s 9.1 million furloughed workers nationally. Over 1 million Londoners have been furloughed, more than any other region in the UK. Londoners in many sectors do not feel secure in their jobs, particularly as the furlough scheme begins to wind down. These Londoners need to feel that they are being supported through this crisis by both national and regional government.
“It’s easy to forget that there are people and families behind these figures. It must now be a political, as well as an economic priority to protect as many jobs as possible.”
Notes to editors
- Labour market in the regions of the UK: October 2020, ONS
- Léonie Cooper AM, Chair of the Economy Committee is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Economy Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more details, please contact Aoife Nolan in the Assembly Media Office on 020 7983 4067. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit, Greater London Authority, on 020 7983 4100.