Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds has warned that the jobless rate could hit levels "way beyond anything we've experienced before" unless the government extends the furlough scheme. Pointing to analysis from the Institute for Employment Studies which found that without intervention, a second wave of job losses as the furlough scheme is unwound could lead to unemployment hitting as much as 5m people, he said: “That doesn't sound alarmist, it doesn't sound impossible”.
Mr Reynolds has questioned the government's decision to reintroduce benefit sanctions, which have been suspended during the crisis, saying: “Unemployment is high, vacancies are down, the schools aren't back, people are shielding - the idea that the answer to that is to dock people's social support because they're not out looking for jobs? it just looks unthinkable.
Read more: The Daily Telegraph
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