The head of the UK’s largest supermarket chain has warned that Britain is drifting into a “quiet epidemic” of joblessness, with millions out of work and reliant on benefits.
Ashwin Prasad, chief executive of Tesco UK, said too few people are employed and that a growing share of national income is being spent on out-of-work welfare, as unemployment has reached a four-year high of 5.1%.
He argued that a gradual rise in economic inactivity over the past decade is harming the country’s global reputation and requires urgent joint action from government and businesses. More than 9 million people aged 16 to 64 are now economically inactive, including nearly a million young people not in education, employment or training, a sharp rise since the pandemic.
While the government has announced £820m to support young people into work or training, Prasad and think tanks say bolder reforms are needed to prevent a generation from being left behind.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER: If you would like to support our independent journalism at Good Morning World, please subscribe to our daily newsletter. It’s FREE and appears 7 mornings a week. As we prepare to install a fully-automated sign-up, in the meantime please send an email with the word SUBSCRIBE to ianrbrodie@gmail.com