As unemployment rates start to rise six months into this crisis, there are countless human stories of how workers have been affected. Some workers have had to adjust to lower pay or fewer hours, while others are worried about life after furlough, or have switched jobs or lost their livelihoods altogether. In order to understand how the labour market is changing, we must look behind the headlines to the experiences and future plans of workers and the firms they work for. How is the reopening of the economy, but the closing down of the furlough scheme, shaping the labour market? How have factors such as sector and age shaped experiences of the past six months? How are employers responding to reductions in government support? What about the impact on those without employers – the self-employed? And what should be the priority for policy makers in the next phase of the crisis? To mark the launch of a major new survey of workers’ experiences of the covid crisis so far, the Resolution Foundation is hosting an interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following a presentation of the key highlights from the report, we will hear from the TUC and CBI on how the labour market has already changed, what the coming months might hold, and whether further policy interventions are needed to stem rising unemployment. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event.
