New Delhi: The government of United Kingdom has appointed a new independent ‘Labour Market Advisory Board’ to help tackle the UK’s greatest employment challenge – long-term sickness. “Hundreds of thousands more people are out of work due to long-term sickness since the pandemic,” a government press release stated.
The Board, consisting of experts from business, industrial relations and academia, has held its first meeting and will now advise the Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, on future plans to tackle the issue. The UK is the only G7 country that has not returned to pre-pandemic levels of employment and growth, with 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness.
The Board will consult with the Secretary of State on her plans to drive economic growth and create new jobs, with a particular focus on the young people post-pandemic. Its first meeting will focus on the impact of ill-health on inactivity and how the government can support more people into good work.
Paul Gregg, Chair of the Labour Market Advisory Board, highlighted the deep-seated challenges facing the UK’s labour market. He noted a sharp increase in economic inactivity and long-term sickness, particularly among young people post-pandemic. He further noted that real wage growth has been suppressed for 15 years, impacting living standards and government tax revenues.