Threat of redundancy 'hangs over 13m'

03 April 2009

More than 13 million people are at risk of losing their job, it has been revealed.

Categories: Working life  |  Talent management  |  People management

Almost half of UK firms are considering cutting jobs as the recession continues, according to a new study.

Research conducted by people assessment company Talent Q has revealed that 44 per cent of businesses are thinking about reducing head count as they look to cut costs.

This means that more than 13 million are threatened by the prospect of redundancy, it warned.

It found that those in the public sector have the safest jobs, while those in industrial and manufacturing occupations are most likely to be made unemployed.

Dr Alan Bourne, director of Talent Q, said: "We found that the public sector is likely to be the most robust in terms of maintaining headcount, thanks chiefly to the government's spending commitments."

However, those in other fields will find the "sword of Damocles ever present" for the next few months, he warned.

Recently, the Office for National Statistics revealed that unemployment in the UK hit 2.03 million in the three months to January 2009, the highest figure since 1997.ADNFCR-1459-ID-19107083-ADNFCR

Return to News Archive

Join ILM

ILM membership is designed to support and develop managers throughout their careers. Benefits include:

Specialist leadership and management e-learning and online assessment tools. Plus, get networking at our member events

A dedicated resource centre offering a wide range of books, articles and journals online, plus a dedicated research service 

Edge magazine takes an engaging, no-nonsense look at the world of leadership and management, with a mix of topical features, skills advice and expert columns.

Practical career development resources, including advice on dressing for success, job hunting, CVs, and interviews.

Browse qualifications

ILM offers the widest range of leadership and management qualifications in the UK. Now, our qualifications browser makes it easy for you to explore our programmes by subject, type and level.