COVID-19: More women than men furloughed as 4.7m use scheme, treasury data reveals – By Sky News Staff (Sky News) / Feb 25 2021
There were an estimated 4.7 million employees furloughed at the end of January with women accounting for the majority of the number, according to provisional Treasury figures.
They showed a leap in demand for the Job Retention Scheme during the month as England entered its third COVID-19 lockdown, forcing hospitality and non-essential retail businesses into a winter hibernation.
The furlough scheme, which has been extended three times, provides up to 80% of salaries to a cap of 2,500 per month.
The latest data showed that the number of women furloughed had risen to 2.32 million by 31 January while the number of men stood at 2.18 million.
