Figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics illustrated the extent of the problem. The number of people saying they are inactive due to long-term sickness is now 2.8 million – an increase of more than 200,000 in the past year and of 700,000 since the pandemic started in 2020.
Businesses are growing increasingly concerned about higher levels of inactivity and its economic impact. It is impacting on growth and inflation. Wages are rising because of skills shortages.
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