A Labour minister faced sharp questioning live on GB News as new figures showed job vacancies falling to a five-year low.
Vacancy numbers dropped to 707,000 in the May-to-July period, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which said small firms were citing labour and operating costs as reasons for scaling back hiring.
Energy costs have risen sharply since the war in Iran began, and companies have complained that increases in National Insurance and the minimum wage have made it more expensive to employ staff.
Live clash on GB News
On Monday, August 24, Ellie Costello and Alexander Armstrong returned to the airwaves to question Labour minister Luke Pollard about the worrying new statistics, just days after graduates received their exam results across the UK.
It did not take long for Costello to challenge the politician about the job market, with vacancies down 45% in just 12 months.
During the exchange, Costello asked: "Can you admit now that increasing national insurance contributions on employers has made hiring young staff a lot less attractive?"
Graduates face tough market
The challenge came as graduates face what has been described as the worst job market on record, with vacancies down 45% from 2025.
The ONS data indicates that small firms are particularly affected, with labour and operating costs cited as key reasons for reducing hiring activity.
This is a breaking live TV story, and the Showbiz Express.co.uk team will be updating this story with the latest information as soon as it is received.
