Furlough figures drop between March and April 2021

03 June 2021

HMRC has published the latest set of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) statistics which confirm that the number of employments on furlough decreased by 900,000 in the period between 31 March 2021 and 30 April 2021.

As of 30 April 2021, 3.4 million employments were recorded as being on furlough. Numbers of staff on CJRS were last at their highest at 5.1 million in January 2021 and have decreased since that point.

Alongside the data there is a caveat which states that the data for April 2021 is not yet fully complete as claims for April 2021 could be amended until 28 May 2021 and, if employers had a reasonable excuse for submitting their claim after 14 May 2021 (the deadline for April 2021 claims), then HMRC may have accepted a late submission. It is anticipated, however, that these two factors will have a minimal effect on the statistics.

Since the CJRS was introduced, a cumulative total of 11.5 million jobs have been placed on furlough at various times.

 


The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication. For all the latest information, news and resources on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting payroll professions, visit our Coronavirus hub.