London jobless at six-year high

UNEMPLOYMENT in London has soared to its highest level in more than six years after tens of thousands of workers in the crippled hospitality sector lost their jobs.

The total number of people out of work in the capital shot up to 355,000 in the three months to November, a rate of 6.9 per cent, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. The jobless tally is the worst since early 2014 and the highest of any region in the country.

The lockdowns and other restrictions since the start of the pandemic have hit London hardest because it depends so heavily on service sectors such as hospitality and retail that have had to close down completely for long periods. The ONS figures show that 43,000 jobs were lost in hotels and restaurants in London in the year to September, the latest month for which an industry breakdown is available.

The number of people signing on for work-related benefits — the claimant count — rose to 497,000, or 8.2 per cent of the workforce, in December, the highest level since regional records began in 1997.

The claimant count total has gone up 175 per cent, or 316,300, in a year. Nationally unemployment rose to five per cent for the first time since the June to August quarter in 2016.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:“This crisis has gone on far longer than any of us hoped. While the NHS is working hard to protect people we’re throwing everything we’ve got at supporting businesses, individuals and families.”