Lord’s report depicts that the lack of employees after the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the bar for weaker growth and higher inflammation.
A Lords committee has warned that a loss of more than 500,000 workers from British employment since the Covid outbreak puts the economy in danger of slower growth and chronically higher inflation.
Since the start of the health emergency, there has been a sharp increase in economic inactivity, defined as working-age adults who are neither employed nor looking for work. It has been causing “serious challenges” for the economy, according to the House of Lord economic affairs committee.
It is said that an increase in early retirement among people aged 50 to 64 was the main cause of the 565,000 increase in economic inactivity since the start of the epidemic, which was reported against the backdrop of severe staff shortages across the nation.
Also, you can read How Employees became “Unsackable” amid an Impending Recession
As per the report, other major factors contributing to the rise of the missing workforce were rising sickness rates among working-age adults, change in the composition of the immigration process following Brexit, and an aging UK population.
In the short term, workforce shortages worsened by the departure of these people from the labor force might harm economic growth and reduce tax revenues available to pay for public services, according to the report “Where Have All the Workers Gone?”
The report has stated that to compete for the limited available workers, firms may raise wages, increasing inflationary pressure. From the record of almost 11% in October to 10.7% in November, inflation rates decreased but remained among the highest since the early 1980s. While it still lags well behind inflation, the UK’s average salary growth has recently risen roughly 6%.
The research publication coincides with worries over Britain’s status as the only developed nation whose employment levels are still anticipated to be below those of the pandemic at the beginning of the year 2023.
However, Lord’s study claimed that the choice to retire early among people aged 50 to 64 was the primary cause of the rise in economic inactivity, even though many appeared to be quite comfortable. It was suggested that it was unlikely that a sizable portion of those who left the workforce in 2020 would rejoin, even though it was stated that this group may still feel the full effects of the cost of living crisis, which could cause more people to return to work to pay for rising expenses.
Additional read: How can Britain overcome the skilled worker shortage post-Brexit?
According to separate data from the Office for National Statistics released on 19th December 2022, people in economic inactivity between the ages of 50 and 65 who were thinking about returning to work were often at the younger end of the age spectrum. Money was also a significant motivator, especially for individuals who were repaying a loan or mortgage or were less likely to be able to cover an unanticipated but required cost.
The head of the Lords’ economic affairs committee, Lord Bridges of Headley, said: “These findings are grim when taken as a whole, like a midwinter. As economic inactivity rises, it becomes more difficult to control inflation, growth is harmed, and the public finances, which are already under strain, are under additional stress. Therefore, it’s crucial that the government takes more action to comprehend the causes of rising inactivity and whether this trend is likely to persist.”
For all the latest updates, reach out to Dynamic Staffing Services at +91-11-40410000 or email us at enquiry@dss-hr.com.
