Polly Dhaliwal - (Enterprise Nation)

Polly Dhaliwal is Chief Operating Officer at Enterprise Nation, a leading small business support community that reaches more than one million entrepreneurs and SMEs across the UK. Enterprise Nation connects founders with the knowledge, tools and community they need to start and grow successful businesses, working in partnership with government, corporates and industry leaders to deliver practical support programmes that help small businesses gain access to finance, new markets, digital skills, talent and opportunities.  In her role, Polly works closely with policymakers, partners and entrepreneurs to strengthen the UK’s small business ecosystem, with a particular focus on digital adoption, AI, and the role of technology in enabling entrepreneurship and economic resilience.  Alongside her work at Enterprise Nation, Polly is the founder of Girls in Movement, a not-for-profit initiative that supports girls through education, confidence-building, and global perspectives, helping the next generation develop the skills and mindset to thrive in an increasingly digital world. 

When unemployment rises, people reach for entrepreneurship: how can governments help them? 

Reading Time: 4 minutesAs the UK labour market adjusts to a new economic reality, recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows unemployment rising to around 5.2%, its highest level since 2021.  

This shift reflects broader global patterns, where hiring is slowing and many traditional roles are being reshaped by automation and artificial intelligence. While numbers alone do not always capture the real picture, history tells us that periods of disruption have often acted as catalysts for reinvention. That is also true of what we are experiencing now.

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