These latest unemployment statistics make for difficult reading, reflecting the significant personal difficulties faced by so many.
The prospects for recovery now seem entirely tied to how successfully the vaccine roll out can be implemented. The longer large parts of the economy are shuttered, the greater the risk of what is expected to be temporary unemployment becoming permanent. The economic path over coming year will be bumpy but there is hope from the previous re-opening before Christmas that activity can bounce back quickly and the economy can shift through the gears to regain lost ground and reduce the current high levels of unemployment.
