UK workers on company payrolls slumped by more than 600,000 between March and May and benefit claims soared by 1.6 million as the coronavirus lockdown hammered Britain’s labour market, official figures have revealed.
The Office for National Statistics said early estimates showed the number of paid employees dropped by 2.1% or 612,000 in May compared with March, while job vacancies also slumped to a record low last month.