Ealing Council’s Plan for Good Jobs was agreed unanimously by the cabinet on Wednesday 22 September 2021.

The Plan is to support the borough bid to bounce back from the economic impact of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic will have a long-term devastating effects on the local economy in Ealing, which has been one of the hardest hit boroughs in London.

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Ealing has one of the highest furlough rates in the country, with eight of its 23 wards ranked in the 20% most deprived wards in the country and a third of its workforce earning less than the London Living Wage.

4 of Ealing Southall’s wards (Norwood Green, Southall Broadway, Southall Green and Dormers Wells) are in the 20% most deprived wards in the country.

Many residents are facing unemployment due to the impact of job losses at Heathrow airport as well as its multiple supply chains in the manufacturing and service industries.

Ealing Council’s Plan for Good Jobs sets out the short-term actions that are needed to help Ealing’s economy recover from COVID-19 the pandemic.

Priority will be given to the hardest hit and most disadvantaged communities to ensure they have the same economic opportunities as other areas.

The plan, highlights a number of key priorities for the council and its partners:

• Help residents into gainful employment by making it easier for them to find jobs, retrain and develop new skills for growth sector employment
• Protect and nurture existing businesses, and encourage entrepreneurs to start-up and grow in Ealing
• Encourage local employers to work with the Council to create good jobs
• Promote green industries to support the Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030
• Work with local communities to ensure town centres remain vibrant and grow Ealing’s creative industries.

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Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: "Since March 2020, the council has been working closely with our business community to provide support and advice to help them navigate the pandemic."

"Many of our residents are employed at Heathrow and the aviation industry and its supply chains have been one of the hardest hit sectors."

"And the threat to our most vulnerable residents will only increase because of the government’s decision to withdraw furlough coupled with the cut to Universal Credit and a rise in National Insurance contributions."

Council Leader, Peter Mason added: "A key component of this campaign is to help residents know where and how to find good jobs, how to retrain and upskill in industries that offer greater security."

"Our local businesses have been devastated by the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit and they will need ongoing support and advice to survive."

"But we also want to work with them to generate good jobs for local people, which includes ending the use of zero-hour contracts, commit to the London Living Wage and securing good terms and conditions for workers."

More information can be found on www.ealing.gov.uk/GoodJobs and on social media following #GoodJobs4Ealing.