Furlough, Unemployment & high COVID-19 rates in London. Class & the Coronavirus
The London Evening Standard has published an interesting report on the levels of furlough, unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates in London Boroughs. Not all the figures cover the same period (the COVID-19 figures are the most uptodate) so the unemployment figures may well now be understated as the existing furlough scheme concludes.
Two paragraphs are extracted below together with a link to the full report.
While the report is of interest and in terms of highlighting some kind of link between furlough, unemployment and COVID-19 infection it doesn’t spell out what it is. Given George Osborne’s role at the Standard we can certainly understand that.
The link however is more or less the same as in any epidemic.
Low paid and insecure work, often in less than COVID-19 secure conditions, combine with poor housing and health.
Don’t expect this point to feature in a Government press conference any time soon
Six boroughs across the capital – Newham, Haringey, Barnet, Brent, Hounslow and Waltham Forest – have suffered the double whammy of the highest levels of furloughed workers in the UK and soaring numbers claiming unemployment benefits.
Nine of the 14 borough areas which have seen a rise of 10,000 in the claimant count now also have a coronavirus rate above the key threshold of 100 new cases a week per 100,000 population.
The rate in Ealing for the seven days to October 17 was 151, Hackney and City of London 146, Redbridge 134, Enfield 131, Tower Hamlets 126, Newham and Haringey 120, Lambeth 116 and Barnet 107.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-boroughs-covid-economic-damage-a4572648.html
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