“London’s gleaming skyline of skyscrapers can be misleading – the barriers faced by many Londoners in accessing jobs and economic opportunities are as large as elsewhere. The latest ONS unemployment data shows this clearly: London and the North East find themselves in the same boat, with higher unemployment rates than elsewhere in the country.

“This raises important questions for the government as they prepare to publish their plans to level up the country. At the moment, the conversation about levelling up seems to sideline the scale of the levelling up challenges within London and risks leaving hundreds of thousands of people without the support they need. If unaddressed this will put further strain on the public purse.”

“Falling unemployment in London is to be welcomed and reflects the feeling that the city, particularly in the centre, had regained some of its pre-pandemic lustre. The big fear is that December’s tightening of restrictions caused by Omicron could threaten to reverse some of this progress over the coming months.”