Employers are stepping up the pace of job cuts as Labour's national insurance raid delivers 'sustained' damage, figures show.
A closely-watched business survey found private sector staff numbers are decreasing at the fastest pace since February.
And wider activity remains 'sluggish', meaning the economy is on course to eke out only meagre growth over the summer, according to the purchasing managers' index (PMI) report.
It is the latest grim indictment of Labour's record – even as Chancellor Rachel Reeves continues to insist she is making Britain 'better off'.
Instead, there is increasing evidence that her £25 billion raid on employer national insurance – alongside a sharp rise in the minimum wage – is squeezing profits and making it harder to hire staff.
