Number of UK workers on furlough falls to 6.8m
The number of UK employees on furlough fell from highs of almost 10m to 6.8m at the end of June as the coronavirus lockdown eased and staff returned to work.
The latest government statistics showed that the number of people being paid through the coronavirus job retention scheme dropped sharply in June as some businesses, such as non-essential retailers, were allowed to reopen.
In total 9.6m employments, totalling 32 per cent of eligible jobs, were furloughed between March and June. The claims were made by 1.16m employers, with 61 per cent of eligible businesses claiming.
The accommodation and food services sector, which has been one of the hardest hit industries due to the closure of hotels and restaurants, had the highest furlough rate of 77 per cent.
The wholesale and retail sector, which was forced to close all non-essential stores during the UK coronavirus lockdown, furloughed the highest number of employees, at more than 1.9m.
Men have been furloughed at a higher rate than women, at 34 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.
The coronavirus job retention scheme saw the government cover up to 80 per cent of the wages of temporarily laid off workers.
The furlough scheme will come to an end on 31 October, with the government offering firms a £1,000 bonus for each employee that is kept on until at least January next year.
However experts have warned that the end of the scheme will spark a surge of redundancies, with leisure, nightlife, hospitality and events businesses expected to face the brunt of job losses.
The latest GfK consumer confidence survey, published this morning, found that optimism remained low this month.
GfK client strategy director Joe Staton said: “Employment is now the big issue because the pandemic has ended years of job security.”