Final day of Furlough - 1 million people in limbo as thousands of employees face further redundancies

Uncertainty looms for the future of almost one million furloughed employees as the government’s £70bn support programme ends today, after helping out millions of workers across the UK over the last 18 months.

Economists have warned that although many may find work in recovering sectors such as hospitality and travel, there is also likely to be a rise in unemployment due to new redundancies.

The end of furlough also comes amid record UK vacancy figures, with the latest Office for National Statistics data for August reporting more than one million available jobs for the first time on record.

On a more positive note, there have been significant hiring sprees amid labour shortages for HGV drivers, warehouse staff and food production workers.

There appears to be grave “doubts” as to whether broader consumer demand will have jumped enough by October to re-employ all staff who remain on furlough - only time will tell how this situation will unfold.

Should you require any help with supporting your employees through the redundancy process, post furlough or would like some help and guidance with re-onboarding your employees after furlough, please get in touch with us.