London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

UK finance minister promises ‘opportunities’ for unemployed as his scheme may save ‘only 230,000 jobs’

UK finance minister promises ‘opportunities’ for unemployed as his scheme may save ‘only 230,000 jobs’

Chancellor Rishi Sunak envisages new opportunities for British people who lose their jobs, as new data shows a sharp fall in employment and a record rise in redundancies in August.

For the unemployed, there will be “new opportunities through apprenticeships, traineeships and our two billion pound Kickstart scheme, and extra work search support,” the finance minister said on Tuesday, as the aim is to “ensure nobody is left without hope.”

"I’ve been honest with people from the start that we would unfortunately not be able to save every job. But these aren’t just statistics, they are people’s lives."


The new tiered system of restrictions imposed by the UK government on Monday may hit the hospitality industry hardest of all.

Sunak already announced an extension to the job retention scheme on October 9 to support employers over the winter. The government will pay 67 percent of employees’ wages for businesses that are legally required to close. Employers will not be required to contribute any wages, but they will have to pay national insurance and pension contributions.

The country’s unemployment rate rose by more than expected, to 4.5 percent, in the three months to August. This is up from 4.1 percent in the three months to July, according to official data published on Tuesday.

The number of unemployed rose by the most since the global financial crisis in 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics. Redundancies jumped by a record 114,000 on the quarter to 227,000, also the highest level since 2009.

Analysts warn that many firms that won’t be required to close might also be affected by local lockdown restrictions.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a think tank, estimates the new scheme would only protect some 230,000 jobs, while about two million viable jobs could be put at risk when the current program closes at the end of the month.

“A far larger number of people are being abandoned by the government [because of] the flawed design of the job support scheme,” said Clare McNeil, associate director of the IPPR.

“We estimate that only one in 10 workers in viable jobs will be supported by this scheme.”

A part-time work subsidy is needed that avoids mass redundancies while allowing more employees to keep their jobs on fewer hours, according to McNeil.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×