Almost 89,000 hospitality jobs have been lost in the UK since last autumn’s Budget, according to new analysis of data by UKHospitality.
The trade organisation said hospitality accounted for 53% of all 164,641 jobs lost since October.
Even the Office for Budget Responsibility had only predicted 50,000 job losses as a direct result of changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions.
UKHospitality is calling for urgent remedial action at the forthcoming Budget, including lowering business rates, fixing NI contributions, and cutting VAT.
“The number of job losses suffered in hospitality since the Budget is staggering,” said UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls. “More than half of all job losses since October occurring in hospitality is further evidence that our sector has been by far the hardest hit by the government’s regressive tax increases.
“The sheer scale of costs being placed upon hospitality has forced businesses to take agonisingly tough decisions to cut jobs — with part-time and flexible roles often those most at risk.
“At a time when the country needs jobs, the government should be encouraging hospitality to grow and create jobs, not tax them out of existence. The government needs to recognise the devastating impact of its tax increases on working people and communities across the country.”
