‘Worse than Covid’: hospitality bosses blame Reeves’ budget for UK downturn

With data suggesting the sector has been hit hardest, some employers can't afford to recruit summer workers

• Unemployment rises and wage growth slows

• Analysis: UK jobs market is cooling but not collapsing

From a financial point of view, last year's budget was worse for hospitality than Covid," says Philip Thorley, who owns 18 pubs across Kent and employs about 400 people.

Usually he is looking to recruit staff to help out in the summer months but this year will be different, he says, as the 25bn increase in employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) that came into force in April has been catastrophic for our company and industry".