·               New research reveals attitudes towards redundancy has changed as 68% of UK workers agree there is now less stigma 

·               A third admit they have previously lied about being out of work and 1 in 10 have hidden the news from their family due to embarrassment 

·               Nearly 700,000 jobs have been lost between March and September this year, with unemployment projected to rise in the coming months 

In the wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic and a subsequently tough jobs market, new research has revealed that attitudes towards redundancy are shifting and that the level of stigma attached is on the decline. 

A new survey commissioned by LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has found that a third (33%) of Brits have previously lied about being out of work. 1 in 10 also admit to hiding the news from their family, citing embarrassment as the main reason. 

However, the poll, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults who have experienced redundancy since March 2020, suggests that the tide has changed. 68% feel there is now less stigma attached. Those who have experienced redundancy, are now more than three times likely to ask for help from their network of friends, family and former colleagues in the search of a new job.  

A quarter of those surveyed also admit they now judge others differently. 26% used to judge or look down at people out of work, with 23% thinking they are lazy, before being made redundant themselves. Now, 3 in 5 agree they have more empathy for those unemployed after going through the motions themselves.