Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Collective redundancyCoronavirusLatest NewsJob creation and lossesFurlough

Post-furlough redundancy surge has not happened

by Ashleigh Webber 7 Oct 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 7 Oct 2021 IR Stone / Shutterstock.com
IR Stone / Shutterstock.com

Fears of mass job cuts as the furlough scheme closed have not so far materialised, government figures have suggested.

The number of redundancies proposed by employers in September was almost the lowest on record, according to Insolvency Service data, despite concerns from unions and business groups that the withdrawal of the furlough scheme on 30 September would spark job cuts.

In September, 204 employers informed the government about plans to make 13,836 redundancies.

This was a slight increase in the figure recorded in August 2021, when 201 employers planned to cull 12,687 jobs, but well below the peak of job losses seen in summer 2020.

However, the true number of redundancies made is likely to be different, as only employers who plan cut 20 or more jobs are obliged to inform the Insolvency Service.

Employers are required to notify the government department at least 30 days before the first dismissal where 20 to 99 redundancies are proposed, and at least 45 days before the first dismissal where 100 or more redundancies are proposed.

They must submit an HR1 form to the Insolvency Service, informing it about how many staff they are consulting with about potential redundancy.

Tony Wilson, director of the Institute of Employment Studies, told the BBC that the worst period for job losses during the pandemic was “well and truly behind us” because estimates of actual redundancies and online searches related to redundancy were both lower than before Covid-19 hit.

Trade unions including Community, CWU, GMB, Prospect, Unite and Usdaw told the BBC they had not received news of any major redundancies among their members since the furlough scheme was withdrawn.

Last week the Office for National Statistics revealed that one in four employees had been furloughed at some point since March 2019. Roughly one million people remained on furlough as the scheme ended.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Eight per cent of people who have been furloughed were no longer employed in the three months to June 2021.

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more human resources jobs

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
A quarter think hiring is biggest business challenge
next post
Candidate experience failings afflict businesses despite labour shortage

You may also like

Tribunal finds need for degree in redundancy selection...

14 May 2025

Construction workers win compensation claim against defunct employer

9 May 2025

British Steel puts brakes on redundancy process

23 Apr 2025

British Steel: MPs recalled to enable nationalisation

11 Apr 2025

Met Police cuts 1,700 officers and staff in...

3 Apr 2025

Top 10 HR questions March 2025: Carrying over...

2 Apr 2025

Sky to close call centres cutting 2,000 jobs

28 Mar 2025

Reasons behind Dundee University job losses to be...

28 Mar 2025

British Steel to shed 2,700 jobs at Scunthorpe...

27 Mar 2025

April 2025: What’s coming up for HR?

21 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+