Human resources

摘要

Using the definition of the International Labour Organisation, the British unemployment rate was 4.8% in the quarter ending September 30th 2020 (latest available), up 1 percentage point from the same quarter a year earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics. Unemployment has picked up since the onset of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in early 2020, but remains low by historical standards. Annual wage growth has been subdued in recent months and stood at 1.3% in September 2020, down from 3.6% in September 2019. The government has introduced various job support schemes to help cushion the impact on employers and employees of the coronavirus pandemic, which has dampened economic activity and led to the introduction of various social-distancing measures to curb the spread of the disease. A Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, more commonly referred to as the furlough scheme, took effect from March 2020; following an extension announced in November 2020, it is expected to remain in place until March 31st 2021. It allows employers to claim for 80% of an employee's wage, up to ￡2,500 per month. Employers must continue to pay employers' national insurance and pension contributions. As of mid-October 2020, there were 9.6m UK workers furloughed under the scheme, at a total cost of over ￡40bn. A Kickstart scheme funds new job placements for young people aged 16-24, paying 100% of the national minimum wage for 25 hours per week for six months. Measures to assist the self-employed include grants available under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.