Ahead of the UK government’s latest economic statement, the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and the secretary of state for work and pensions, Mel Stride, unveiled a new employment support package dubbed the back to work plan.
The government’s aim is to support more than 1 million people who are either long-term unemployed or have long-term health conditions to (re)enter the workforce or remain in employment. The measures include providing additional individual support, particularly for those with health conditions, as well as revised benefit conditions and sanctions.
The rate of unemployment for 16- to 64-year-olds in the UK is 4.4%. While slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels, it remains, by historic standards, comparatively low.
