The UK labour market has lost almost 700,000 jobs since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak in March, according to ONS data reported in the Financial Times.
Over five million workers remain on furlough, and The Daily Telegraph reports that pay in real terms remains lower than pre-financial crisis levels, despite a brief rise in December 2019.
DR UK Head of Policy Fazilet Hadi said: “Whilst these figures are for the workforce as a whole, there will undoubtedly be massive implications for disabled employees. The Chancellor’s job package for young people did very little to support young disabled people to get onto the employment ladder.
“We urge government to put specific plans in place to support disabled job seekers. These should include employment programmes targeted at disabled people, specialist disability job coaches and improvements to the Access to Work scheme.”