The impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the jobs market in the UK has been enormous. By January 2021, unemployment had risen to 5% – the highest it had been since 2016. That figure has since improved, with unemployment back down to 3.9%.
Indeed, there are now many businesses struggling with staffing issues, just as there are jobseekers trying to find the right employer. In response to this, the government has launched the Way to Work campaign, a partnership between employers and Jobcentre Plus, designed to help 500,000 jobseekers on universal credit or jobseeker’s allowance into work by the end of June 2022. Figures from the Office for National Statistics in January show the demand for workers is there, with a record 1.3m vacancies to fill (59% higher than pre-pandemic levels). This number of vacancies shows why engagement between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and employers is more important than ever.
