I haven't got a dog in this fight, but BALPA is warning prospective pilots to NOT begin training now as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BALPA is saying there are 10,000 unemployed pilots in Europe, with 1,000 in the UK alone. However, CAE estimates the industry is going to need 27,000 new pilots in 2021, and 264,000 over the next 10 years because of 'aged-based retirements and attrition.'
Source: Royal Aeronautical Society AEROSPACE, December 2020.
It's clearly a very difficult decision for any prospective pilot faced with a BIG financial outlay to get basic qualifications and absolutely no certainty of employment in the foreseeable future.
If I was starting again and deciding to whether or not to pursue an airline career, I'd forget it and concentrate on becoming a plumber or an electrician.
