UK unemployment predicted to hit nearly three million by Christmas

Experts warn that new jobs support scheme will not halt job losses as ‘tough’ winter looms

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Experts warn that new jobs support scheme will not halt job losses as ‘tough’ winter looms
(Image credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images)

Almost three million people in the UK may be unemployed by Christmas as up to 1.5 million more jobs face the axe in the run-up to the festive season, two leading think tanks are warning.

With Covid-19 still “battering the economy” and the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme coming to an end on 31 October, more companies will be forced to lay off staff, says The Guardian. The predicted “surge in unemployment” would drive the unemployment rate above 8% for the first time in almost a decade, the newspaper adds.

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Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.