(Source: Reuters)
Roughly one in three furloughed workers in Britain returned to their jobs in the first two weeks of July as the hospitality industry began to reopen to the public after a coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Thursday.
Businesses surveyed between June 29 and July 12 said 7% of their staff had returned from furlough within the past two weeks, while 17% remained on leave on a government-funded programme which pays 80% of their salaries.
Britain’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has paid the wages of more than 9 million staff - about a third of the private sector workforce - but is due to end in October, prompting forecasts of a big rise in unemployment.
Thursday’s data showed big differences between sectors. More than 90% of staff in sectors such as water treatment or information technology were working, but only around half of staff in hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Thursday’s data showed big differences between sectors. More than 90% of staff in sectors such as water treatment or information technology were working, but only around half of staff in hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.
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