Over 628,000 Scots have been furloughed on the UK government’s job retention scheme, according to figures from the Treasury.
Statistics released by chancellor Rishi Sunak’s department show area by area how many people have had 80 per cent of their wages covered by the government scheme as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.
The figures detail how some 74,000 people in Glasgow, down to 2400 islanders in Orkney, are benefitting.
A further 146,000 self-employed people in Scotland have had government support through a parallel scheme compensating them for loss of earnings.
The government pays 80 per cent of the monthly wages to a limit of £2500 for employees who have had to be laid off because of lockdown. The scheme comes to an end in October with reduced government support each month from August.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The UK Government is doing everything we can to protect jobs and businesses in Scotland and across the UK during the crisis."
However, there are concerns that thousands have fallen through gaps in the scheme. We revealed how agency workers have been left with no cash, and people changing jobs before the cut-off were denied support.
But the stats will add to fears for a massive wave of job losses when the Government begins winding down its wage bail-out for millions of workers.
The government will start tapering its furlough scheme from August forcing those employers taking part to pay 20 per cent of workers’ wages up to a £2500 a month cap as well as covering their national insurance and pension contributions.
From September the government will meet 70 per cent of wages, with employers expected to make up the and 60 per cent in October until the scheme is wound down.
Here are the number of furloughed jobs by Scottish local authority area :
Aberdeen City 27,700
Aberdeenshire 29,700
Angus 12,400
Argyll and Bute 9,200
Clackmannanshire 5,800
Dumfries and Galloway 15,400
Dundee City 15,000
East Ayrshire 13,700
East Dunbartonshire 11,200
East Lothian 12,500
East Renfrewshire 10,100
City of Edinburgh 58,400
Na h-Eileanan Siar 2,600
Falkirk 18,800
Fife 37,900
Glasgow City 74,400
Highland 32,200
Inverclyde 7,300
Midlothian 11,200
Moray 11,700
North Ayrshire 14,000
North Lanarkshire 41,800
Orkney Islands 2,400
Perth and Kinross 19,700
Renfrewshire 23,000
Scottish Borders 12,800
Shetland Islands 2,700
South Ayrshire 12,100
South Lanarkshire 39,200
