Local MP hails last furlough figures as scheme ends

Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has hailed the latest furlough statistics that showed the number of furloughs decrease dramatically as the scheme winded down and the economy reopened.

Figures released on November 4 show that in Banff and Buchan a total of 1300 jobs, evenly split among men and women, were furloughed as of August 31, down from 4100 at the end of April.

The total cumulative jobs supported in Banff and Buchan by the furlough scheme since March 2020 stood at 15,300.

Provisional data shows that when it closed on September 30, the Covid Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was supporting 410,000 employers who had a total of 1.14 million jobs on furlough across the UK.

This is a decrease of 210,000 employments from 31 August when there were 1.35 million employments on furlough.

Provisional figures show that as of October 14, the CJRS scheme had supported claims to a cumulative value of £70 billion from the UK Treasury.

Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid said: “The furlough scheme was an unprecedented act of support by the UK Government.

“To spend £70 billion protecting millions of jobs including over 15,000 in my Banff and Buchan constituency is nothing short of amazing.

“The UK Government sprang into action at a time of national crisis and protected our economy, our jobs and the communities and families that depend on them."

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