320,000 Scots are still on furlough

MORE than 320,000 Scots are furloughed but the number dropped in March as businesses across the country prepared to reopen.

New HM Revenue & Customs figures show there were 368,400 people on furlough at the end of February but this fell to 327,100 on March 31.

The furlough take-up rate for men in Scotland is 13 per cent and 14 per cent for women, in line with UK figures showing that overall 14 per cent of eligible people were furloughed on March 31.

It marks the last set of data before pubs and nonessential shops were allowed to open in April for the first time in months.

Highland and Perth and Kinross had Scotland’s highest furlough take-up rates at 17 per cent.

A total of 11.5million people have been put on furlough at some point within the last 14 months.