A new TUC report ‘A better recovery for the West Midlands sets out a plan to prevent mass unemployment following the pandemic, with secure jobs and decent pay for working families.
They warn that there is a high risk of mass unemployment in the West Midlands without a recovery plan centred on protecting and creating jobs, backed by major investment. Workers who have required support from the job retention scheme and self-employed income support scheme are most likely to face unemployment risks in the months ahead. They estimate that at least 882,000 workers (32% of the workforce) have required support from these schemes over lockdown.
The report recommends an approach based on recently published TUC research that found the fastest recoveries from economic crises in UK history were based on investment for growth. Action at regional level is required in three key areas: Investing in Jobs, Decent work and a new way of doing business and Rebuilding public services.
