More than 12,000 people in the UK are set to lose their jobs after a raft of firms announced cuts in the past 48 hours. The cuts are mainly being made by High Street retailers and in aviation – two of the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus lockdown.
John Lewis has said it will close stores but has not confirmed how many jobs will go. Topshop owner Arcadia and Harrods said they planned a total of 1,180 job cuts.
Other layoffs that have been announced include up to 5,000 at Upper Crust owner SSP Group and up to 700 at Harrods, 1,700 UK jobs at plane-maker Airbus and 1,300 crew and 727 pilots at EasyJet.
Businesses have been hit hard since the UK went into lockdown on 23 March, and even though restrictions are gradually being eased, consumer demand remains depressed. The government’s furlough scheme will also start to be pared back from August, and firms are cutting jobs to control their costs.
