How many people are still on furlough in Braintree?

As of July 1, employers must pay 10% of the salary for furloughed staff, rising to 20 per cent in August and September, when the support scheme ends.

But there are fears many businesses will not be able to afford the cost with parts of the economy still restricted by Covid measures.

The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that 5,900 jobs held by workers living in Braintree were furloughed in May.

That was 2,800 fewer than the 8,700 furloughed at the end of April.

The figures show that in May in Braintree:

• Furloughed jobs in the retail sector dropped by 750, to 930
• In the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors, 290 fewer jobs were supported by the scheme, with 310 still furloughed
• The number of hospitality jobs furloughed fell by 650, to 920

Across the UK, the total number of jobs furloughed fell by 1.2 million during May to 2.4 million at the end of the month, the figures show.

Read more:

• Coronavirus heat map shows how many cases of Covid there are in Braintree
• Dozens more cases of Delta variant confirmed in Braintree

The Government has spent £66 billion on the furlough scheme since it started in March last year.

A spokesperson said: "We deliberately went long with our support to provide certainty to people and businesses over the summer, and that support, which is a substantial amount of funding, is continuing.