Early estimates from the taxman suggest 163,000 people lost their jobs in May, on top of 449,000 the previous month, as the coronavirus crisis lockdown took its toll on the UK economy. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data covering the number of paid employees suggested a fall of 2% since the country entered effective hibernation in March.

While businesses are starting to reopen, operations — including their hiring processes — are modified. Recruiters say in the latest edition of #GetHired that hiring seems to be picking up steam, but you won’t find them at traditional career fairs.

Whether you’re returning to work, searching for a new role, or recently furloughed, we take a detailed look at the state of the job market during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Heathrow Airport, which before the coronavirus pandemic was the busiest in Europe, said it had started a voluntary redundancy scheme after passenger numbers fell to an all-time low and it could not rule out further job losses. Heathrow said that passenger numbers in May were down 97% and it was preparing for further declines due to Britain's quarantine rule.

The outlook for jobs is the gloomiest in almost three decades, according to the latest employment survey by recruitment firm ManpowerGroup.

It found that companies in all big sectors of the economy are more likely to cut jobs than to hire people over the next three months, from July to September, the weakest forecast since records began in 1992.