COVID in Fife: Almost 7000 fewer people on furlough in region

The latest figures were published this week by HM Revenue and Customs.

They show that 9600 jobs held by workers living in the region were furloughed in May.

That was 6700 fewer than the 16,300 furloughed at the end of April.

The reduction coincided with an easing of restrictions which led to the reopening of indoor entertainment and hospitality, along with holiday accommodation.

In Fife the figures for May showed that:

Furloughed jobs in the retail sector dropped by 1490, to 1620

In the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors, 480 fewer jobs were supported by the scheme, with 620 still furloughed

The number of hospitality jobs furloughed fell by 2010, to 2140

As of July 1, employers must pay 10% of the salary for furloughed staff, rising to 20% in August and September, when the support scheme ends.

There are fears many businesses will not be able to afford the cost with parts of the economy still restricted by Covid measures.

Across the UK, the total number of jobs furloughed fell by 1.2 million during May to 2.4 million at the end of the month.

The furlough scheme, formally called the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, started with the Government paying 80% of a worker’s wages, up to £2,500 per month, if they were not able to work due to the impact of the pandemic.

Employers could choose whether to make up the rest of staff salaries.

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