The number of working age Britons who can’t work because of long-term sickness has been increasing since before the pandemic. It rose from 2 million at the start of 2019 to 2.5 million as of early 2023 – an increase of around 400,000, although the numbers have recently started to decline as the labour market ‘cools’ slightly. According to new analysis published by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), inactivity had contributed to the UK’s ‘sluggish’ economic growth. Click here for more.
