Responding to new ONS figures, which show that London continues to have the highest regional rate of unemployment in the UK at 6.6%, Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive at BusinessLDN, said:

“Rising prices, high employment costs and political uncertainty continue to put the brakes on hiring across the capital.

“With unemployment in the capital the highest in the country, the Government must now take urgent action to address employer national insurance contributions, which are increasingly a barrier to growing employment in many sectors.

“We also need to ensure the education system is responsive to the needs of businesses as AI reshapes the world of work so that Londoners are better equipped with the skills they need to succeed in a fast-moving jobs market.”