A Yorkshire business owner has been left stunned after receiving more than 800 applications for just 15 job vacancies.
Wayne Chadwick, boss of Northern chain The York Roast Co, said he's been inundated with applications since pubs and restaurants were given the green light to reopen on July 4.
"Ordinarily we would probably be lucky to have 15 to 20 people applying for the jobs that we were advertising for," Wayne told the BBC.
However, on this occasion, the restaurant head said he's received more than 800 applications.
"Pre-pandemic, it was very difficult to recruit staff because the jobs market was solid," he said.
"But now we're in a dual situation.
"In one respect it's wonderful as we managed to get the people we needed but in reality, it's very sad."
On Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak officially declared the UK in recession, warning that very "hard times" are ahead.
The Office for National Statistics said the number of people in work fell by 220,000 between April and June this year, adding that a million jobs have been axed UK-wide since the start of the crisis.
The quarterly drop in the number of people employed was the largest quarterly decrease since May to July 2009.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak, said: "I’ve said before that hard times were ahead, and today’s figures confirm that hard times are here.
"Hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their jobs, and sadly in the coming months many more will.
"But while there are difficult choices to be made ahead, we will get through this, and I can assure people that nobody will be left without hope or opportunity.”
A recession is defined as two successive quarters of decline in gross domestic product (GDP), which has not been seen in the UK since 2008 and 2009 during the financial crisis.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: "The best way to get our economy back on its feet is to keep people in work. The more jobs we protect the faster we'll recover from this crisis.
"Ministers cannot afford to dither. They must do everything possible to stop mass unemployment.
"That means extending the job retention scheme for companies that have a viable future but need support beyond October.
"And it means investing in the decent jobs we need for the future in green industries, social care and across the public sector."
Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the ONS, said the economy was beginning to whir back into action - but explained the GDP remains in the doldrums.
He said: "The recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has led to the biggest fall in quarterly GDP on record.
"The economy began to bounce back in June with shops reopening, factories beginning to ramp up production and housebuilding continuing to recover.
"Despite this, GDP in June still remains a sixth below its level in February, before the virus struck.
"Overall, productivity saw its largest-ever fall in the second quarter. Hospitality was worst hit, with productivity in that industry falling by three-quarters in recent months."
