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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Phillip Inman

Staff layoffs in UK gain pace amid Trump tariff turmoil and labour cost increases

United Kingdom Rachel Reeves CIPD BDO
Rachel Reeves in hi-vis vest at a bottling plant in Scotland
Rachel Reeves, pictured visiting a bottling plant in Dumbarton last June, will be hoping for a rebound in employer confidence over the summer. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

UK employers laid off staff in April at a faster pace than the previous month as the combination of higher employment costs and shock waves from Donald Trump’s tariff war sent boardroom confidence levels plummeting.

The human resources association, CIPD, said employer confidence levels slumped to an all-time low, prompting job cuts and a widespread hiring freeze.

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