Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsFurloughJob Support SchemeJob creation and lossesLabour market

Unemployment warning for this autumn as furlough scheme winds up

by Adam McCulloch 23 Sep 2021
by Adam McCulloch 23 Sep 2021 Photograph: Shutterstock
Photograph: Shutterstock

Six percent of the UK workforce remains on full or partial furlough according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on the cusp of its final week.

The figures led one analyst to warn the government that many people would face difficulties this autumn once the scheme closed and urged it not to press ahead with the cut in Universal Credit.

Although the ONS found that the proportion of businesses’ workforce on full or partial furlough was broadly unchanged from late July to mid-August 2021, at 6%; about one in six (16%) of the workforce in “other service activities” occupations, for example, hairdressing and other beauty treatment businesses, were using the CJRS.

However, this had declined from a high of 79% in late January 2021.

Of the workforce who are reported to be on furlough, about two-fifths (43%) are still fully furloughed, equating to about 600,000 people, the figures suggest.

Responding to the ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey, independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation has calculated that about one million employees will still be on furlough on 30 September, when the scheme closes, and will face a “testing autumn”.

Furlough and redundancy

Numbers on furlough fall to lowest level yet

Businesses could face welter of fraud probes once furlough ends

Good practice: Managing the information and consultation process during a collective redundancy

The Foundation predicts that although most workers still on furlough would return to their previous jobs, particularly those on partial furlough, there would still be hundreds of thousands of workers needing to find new jobs in October.

Facing the most difficulties when it came to searching for work were older employees, said the Foundation. Older people were most likely to still be on the furlough scheme, and may have to resort to early retirement if they could not find work, it said.

Dan Tomlinson, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said the data vindicated the government’s decision to have extended the CJRS for 18 months to limit unemployment during the pandemic, adding: “The furlough scheme has been a living standards lifeline during the pandemic.”

He said that in the circumstances the government decision to cut Universal Credit was wrong.

“The fact that 1.4 million employees were still on the scheme just one month before it closes shows that our labour market is still far from full-health.

“The end of furlough is set to prompt a testing period in the labour market as even more people, particularly older workers, look for new jobs. This is another reason not to press ahead with the cut to Universal Credit.”

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more human resources jobs

Adam McCulloch
Adam McCulloch

Adam McCulloch is a freelance writer and production editor who has worked in sectors including travel (The Guardian), aviation (Flight International), agriculture (Farmers' Weekly), music (Jazzwise), theatre (The Stage) and social work (Community Care). He also works for a national newspaper and is the author of KentWalksNearLondon

previous post
Day-one right to request flexible working consultation confirmed
next post
Tips to go to workers, not businesses: UK government will legislate

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Nearly 14,000 whistleblowing reports of furlough fraud received...

11 Aug 2022

‘Low flight risk’ designer wins £100k age discrimination...

5 Jul 2022

How to respond to an HMRC furlough enquiry

18 May 2022

P&O Ferries told to return £11m furlough money...

28 Apr 2022

Single parents need urgent support to re-enter work

11 Mar 2022

MPs press HMRC to recover furlough funds lost...

11 Feb 2022

Nursery worker dismissed while pregnant was discriminated against

7 Feb 2022

Treasury writes off three-quarters of Covid support grants...

17 Jan 2022

Response to Sunak measures: New Covid funding ‘just...

21 Dec 2021

Treasury could afford more business support, says economics...

21 Dec 2021
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...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 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+