"Councils want to work with the Government to develop post COVID-19 economic recovery options, including increased national investment to create jobs and help young people and adults secure them."
Responding to official figures published today which show that employment fell by an estimated 612,000 between March and May, and separate HMRC figures which reveal that 9.1 million workers are having their wages paid through the Government’s furlough scheme, Cllr David Renard, Economy spokesman for the Local Government Association, said:
“The plunge in employment figures and surge in furloughed workers due to coronavirus is very worrying for local economies.
“Councils want to work with the Government to develop post COVID-19 economic recovery options, including increased national investment to create jobs and help young people and adults secure them.
“The pandemic provides a real opportunity to devolve skills investment and back-to-work support to local areas so councils can work with businesses and education providers to ensure people are trained and retrained with new skillsets and qualifications, enabling our diverse communities to have the best possible chance of contributing to and benefiting from any economic reboot.
“Our recent report shows that more than a million green jobs could be created in England by 2050 as the nation transitions to a net zero economy and will help to counter the unprecedented job losses due to coronavirus. Empowering councils, with their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise, will ensure the workforce in every region of the country can benefit from emerging employment opportunities.”
Notes to editors
- An LGA report shows how nearly 700,000 jobs could be created in England’s low-carbon and renewable energy economy by 2030, rising to more than 1.18 million by 2050.
- The LGA’s Work Local programme shows how employment and skills services in England can be improved through local public-private collaborations.