With the furlough scheme about to come to an end, we’ve been looking at how various parts of the UK have been using the scheme and how the end of furlough will impact them.
If there is a rise in the level of unemployment - which is looking like likely - areas with higher levels of furlough uptake may have a more candidates become available on the job market. For recruiters, it may become temporarily easier to recruit in these locations.
In July 2021 (which is the latest data available), London had the largest number of people on furlough, closely followed by the South East of England.
Top 5 UK regions with the most people on furlough
As of 31 July 2021, HMRC Data
- 297,100 London
- 212,400 South East
- 161,900 North West
- 140,500 East of England
- 138,700 West Midlands
On the other end of the scale, Northern Ireland had the lowest number of furloughed workers. In England, the North East has the fewest furlough numbers.
Top 5 UK regions with the least people on furlough
As of 31 July 2021, HMRC Data
- 36,100 Northern Ireland
- 53,100 North East
- 54,700 Wales
- 99,500 East Midlands
- 105,400 Yorkshire And The Humber
Want to see the full data? You can review HMRC’s full Coroanvirus Job Retention Scheme statistics here.