Coronavirus and job vulnerability: Claims by the Government that we’re all in this together ring increasingly hollow

The @ONS report ‘Coronavirus and Job Vulnerability’ was published this morning (5 Mar), exploring which groups of employees are most likely to see their wages impacted because of the pandemic. Using Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2020 data, the article analyses the level of risk likely to be faced by different occupations, based on their ability to work from home and whether or not they are a key worker.

Lorna Carter-Blake, MD of Hampshire-based business training centre, DA Training and Consultancy, said:

“Claims by the Government that we’re all in this together ring increasingly hollow when you look at the raw data.

“While higher earning professionals have been the least likely to see their income impacted by the pandemic, as they can largely work from home, those in lower paid jobs who cannot are the most likely to earn less.

“For the lowest earners to be the ones with the highest chances of receiving reduced pay is rubbing salt in the wound.

“Following on from Thursday’s data showing the biggest quarterly rise in NEETs for a decade, this latest analysis shows that almost half of people aged 16-19 in the workforce are vulnerable to receiving reduced pay or being furloughed.

“Young people, it’s increasingly clear, are not just the least likely to find a job but, if they do get one, are the most likely to see their earnings cut.

“Young people need to see that there are opportunities within their reach to avoid becoming entrenched in the cyclone of unemployment.

“Many higher earners have really flourished during the past 12 months as they have been able to adapt rapidly to new working practices. In many cases, they have set up side-hustles and launched new business altogether.

“What’s important is that higher earners now pay their fair share of tax in order to help everyone in this country recover. Only then will we all truly be in this together.”