Responding to the unemployment figures, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “This is the calm before the storm. Without urgent action to protect jobs in hard-hit sectors, we face a winter of more labour shortages and families suffering from the cost of living crunch.
“We must not be lulled into a false sense of security. The Government must drop their ideological immigration policies to address serious labour shortages.
“And in the long-term, we need a serious investment in skills to build an economy for Britain after the pandemic.”