90pc of workers went back to workplaces as furlough ended
WORKERS WHO were taken off furlough overwhelmingly went back to their old places of work, according to figures from the Government.
HM Revenue and Customs ( HMRC) said that 90 per cent of the workers who left the furlough scheme between April and July returned to their pre- Covid employers.
The Government said that 4.3 million people came off the furlough scheme announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak during those months. The scheme supported 9.6 million workers at its peak. However, the figures are based on data from August this year, and potentially hide the worst of the redundancies that came later in the year.
Between March and August the Government covered 80 per cent of the salaries of all employees who had been furloughed, with no cost to the employer.
But from the beginning of September, employers had to step in to cover 10 per cent of the money, up to a maximum of £ 312.50 a month. In October this employer contribution doubled.
The only cost for employers in August was national insurance and pension contributions.
In March, 14,000 people came off furlough. This rose to 403,000 in April, 1.4 million in May, and 2.5 million in June. Of the people who came back to work in March, only 70 per cent were still with their old employer by August.
The data shows that the worsthit sectors included administrative and support services, accommodation and food services, and households, with only 85 per cent of workers still on payroll by August.
The category “other service activities” was the absolute worst performer at 84 per cent.
Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: “It’s good news that some people have returned to their jobs.
“But these figures still show over 400,000 job losses for furloughed workers in the summer months.
“Those who have remained on furlough for longer are likely to be in hard- hit sectors, like hospitality and the arts. And they face tougher challenges for returning to work.”