Coronavirus crisis ravaging jobs in the Black Country, warns chamber chief

Corin Crane, chief executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, is calling for the Government to give continued support to the region's businesses to prevent further redundancies.

He was speaking after British Chambers of Commerce's new quarterly recruitment outlook revealed that 29 per cent of businesses expect to decrease the size of their workforce in the next three months.

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Mr Crane said: “As Covid-19 gripped the nation’s economy, unemployment began to rise at the same time as vacancies have plummeted. This research shows that coronavirus continues to ravage the employment and jobs market across the Black Country and that the Government’s efforts to protect, support and create jobs is going to be needed now more than ever in the coming months.

“Research conducted by Indeed and Centre for Cities, published yesterday, shows that competition for jobs has risen most in places where work was already difficult to find. Many businesses are struggling with cash flows, reduction in demand and changes to the way they operate with increased levels of home and flexible working.

“Businesses here in the Black Country need continued support ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget to minimise the ever-increasing costs of employment and prevent further redundancies in the long run. It goes without saying that the chamber is on hand to support anyone facing redundancies and those looking to start their own business.”

The research also found that 28 per cent of businesses decreased the size of workforce between April and June but 66 per cent kept their workforce constant, reinforcing the success of the Job Retention Scheme.