Thousands more workers in Buckinghamshire were on furlough last month as stricter lockdown restrictions were imposed.

This comes as Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed today in his budget that the furlough scheme will be extended to the end of September, as will support for the self-employed.

The scheme will be extended until the end of September.

But, the Government’s contribution will be tapered from July – with employers asked to pay in alongside the taxpayer for the cost of furloughed employees.

In July, employers will be expected to contribute 10 per cent, increasing to 20 per cent in August and September, as the economy reopens.

HM Revenue and Customs data reveals around 38,600 jobs held by workers living in Buckinghamshire were furloughed as of January 31.

That was 5,200 more than the 33,400 furloughed a month earlier, when the UK was on the cusp of its third national lockdown.

But despite this increase, the number is still far lower than in May last year – the earliest month with comparable figures – when there were 63,000 furloughed jobs.

Jobs at firms which are unable to operate or have no work for their employees during the pandemic are eligible for furlough pay from the Government – with workers currently getting 80% of their wages, up to £2,500 per month.

Across the UK, 4.7 million jobs were furloughed as of January 31, a steep rise from 4 million a month before, but still well below the 8.7 million in May 2020.

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Charlie McCurdy, researcher at the Resolution Foundation think tank which focuses on living standards, said: “Today’s HMRC data shows that the Job Retention Scheme again took the strain during the latest lockdown with an increase of almost a million people on the scheme during January.

"Furlough has once again played a crucial role in protecting incomes and keeping a lid on rising unemployment.

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"But with almost five million workers still on furlough in the most recent data, our biggest labour market challenges may be ahead of, rather than behind, us."

Around 1.1 million jobs in the accommodation and food services sector were furloughed in the UK as of January 31.

Separate HMRC figures show around 19,200 claims had been made in Buckinghamshire for the third Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant by the end of January – 62% of eligible workers.

The SEISS allows the self-employed to claim a grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits, up to £7,500.