From this month, employers will have to start contributing 20% of wages towards employees on the furlough scheme, in anticipation of the scheme ending in September. The furlough scheme has been a lifeline for millions of workers throughout the pandemic.
But we’ve released new research this week which found that there are over 650,000 jobs likely to still need the scheme in September. This means that hundreds of thousands of people could be pushed into unemployment unless the government extends the furlough scheme. You can read this vital research here.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, Chief Executive, NEF
Not out of the woods yet 660,000 furloughed jobs are likely to still need the scheme when it ends in September, according to new NEF analysis.
Big tech’s duty of care Lawyers and doctors have to act in their clients’ best interests. Duncan McCann asks: what if Facebook and Google had to do the same?
The countdown to COP26 There are fewer than 100 days to COP26 but the gap between climate ambition and action is as wide as ever, writes Rebekah Diski.
With the COP26 global climate conference coming up later this year, we spent five episodes of the Weekly Economics Podcast looking at some of the biggest climate issues.
Weekly Economics Podcast: Fast fashion Summer is here and Love Island is all over the telly. The show’s sexy singles are competing for big prize money, and the inevitable sponsorship deals with fast fashion brands like Shein, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing. But these companies have been accused of exploiting their workers and polluting the environment. Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Maxine Bédat, author of Unraveled: the life and death of a garment.
Weekly Economics Podcast: Fighting the climate crisis in the courts The government has approved a new oil field in the North Sea that we’d need to reforest the whole of England in order to offset. Greenpeace has threatened the government with legal action over the new oil field, and they’re not the only ones trying to fight the climate crisis in the courts. Ayeisha is joined by international climate change and human rights lawyer, Tessa Khan.
Companies failing to pay minimum wage Miatta Fahnbulleh was on GB News responding to list of 191 firms that aren’t paying employees the minimum wage.
Covid travel and the vaccine rollout Miatta was on Good Morning Britain to discuss changes to the rules for travelling and the need for vaccine access for all.
Vaccine passports, the “pingdemic”, a crackdown on crime and the 2021 Olympics Miatta was on BBC the papers to discuss the latest news headlines.
Cutting the £20 uplift to Universal Credit Miatta was on Channel 4 News arguing for a stronger social security system that goes beyond the £20 Universal Credit boost.
Final fight over Bristol Airport expansion begins Alex Chapman discussed NEF research into the dodgy economics of airport expansions in a video for the Bristol Cable.
Compulsory vaccines in care homes, freedom day and racism in football Alfie Stirling was on the political panel for talkRADIO discussing the latest news headlines.
Levelling up Alfie was on GB News talking about widening inequality coming out of the pandemic.
