Amazon jobs news a sign of how post-Covid economy is evolving: The Yorkshire Post says

New figures show city centre shops are struggling, with one-third fewer people passing through last month than in August last year as millions of employees continue to work from home. With the end of furlough in sight, union bosses are now warning of a potential “tsunami” of unemployment in the autumn and calling for more Government support for viable companies, as well as funding the “reskilling” of workers.

But it is also worth considering that the major economic disruption caused by the pandemic has created winners as well as losers. The news that Amazon is creating 7,000 new jobs - including hundreds in Yorkshire - will come as no surprise to anyone who has seen their delivery vehicles become an ever-more common sight in the residential areas in recent months, while supermarkets have also fared well. The shift to home-working - which was already under way in a gradual form before coronavirus - has undoubtedly hurt city centre-based businesses but has equally provided opportunities for local high streets to earn more money from residents who were previously commuting elsewhere during the week. Those who have kept their jobs and cut their travel costs also have more money in their pockets.

There is good reason for concern as autumn approaches but equally the country must not talk itself into a deeper recession. Economies have always evolved to match both the arrival of new technology and the changing needs of society.

History shows this country will find a way of recovering from the economic shock it has gone through, creating job opportunities and prosperity along the way.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson