Almost 90,00 nightlife sector jobs lost to COVID-19 – new report finds

A harrowing new report was released this week, showing a devastating loss of jobs in the UK nighttime sector – caused by COVID-19.

Commissioned by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), the report shows the first clear insight into the sector’s impact on the UK’s GDP and total employment values. As of 2019, it made up 1.6% of GDP – or £36.4 billion. This contribution accounted for 425,000 jobs across the UK.

The staggering impact of the global pandemic within the report highlighted a loss of roughly 86,000 jobs in total since 2019.

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said that the new data shows that “it is the worst possible time to introduce vaccine passports, which will further damage a sector essential to the economic recovery.”

Co-Chair of the APPG for the Night Time Economy, Conservative MP Christian Wakeford, also commented on the importance of recognising the value of nightlife industries but warned, “as we look to rebuild from the devastation of the pandemic, we must not leave this vital sector behind.”

The report comes at a vital time as the upcoming budget grows closer and closer. Mr Kill and the NTIA have made a series of recommendations to the Chancellor on how to support the sector in hopes that it will receive the much-required support within the upcoming budget.