Many businesses have seen their labour costs rise thanks to the rate of employer national insurance being increased in last year’s Budget.
Some retailers have blamed the tax hike for the decision to raise prices in shops, which they say has allowed them to partly mitigate the impact.
The national minimum wage also increased in April, providing a boost to low-income workers across the UK.
However, businesses say the overall jump in staff costs, coupled with new taxes on plastic packaging, has added £7 billion in costs.
Ms Meaden said she had “sympathy” for the government saying: “It’s not just us, [it’s] every country in the world…we’re facing pretty turbulent times and I do think that we’ve become very impatient.
“You know, there are times, and certainly in business, when I make a decision today, and I know that it’s not really going to be felt for two or three years time.
“But actually in politics, you don’t have the luxury of that time.”
