Almost quarter of Borders workers furloughed, figures reveal

According to those statistics, issued by HM Revenue and Customs, 12,800 of the near-55,000 Borderers in employment are having 80% of their wages paid by the UK Government. That adds up to more than 23% of the region’s workforce.

Those payouts are being made via the coronavirus job retention scheme announced in March by UK Government chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak to save jobs otherwise likely to be lost.

That help to keep thousands of Borderers in work while hundreds of others face redundancy as offices and factories close and hotels cut their payrolls has been welcomed by Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont.

Mr Lamont said: “This historic intervention by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has ensured that thousands of people still have a job to return to despite the problems caused by coronavirus.

“It is reassuring that so many businesses and employees have been able to make use of this scheme.

“The UK Government is doing whatever it takes to get the Borders, Scotland and the whole country through this crisis.

“I am grateful to the hard work of civil servants and ministers for putting these packages in place so quickly.

“Nevertheless, I am very aware of the economic hit that will come from the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, we have already seen some indication from Borders businesses that there will be challenging times ahead.”

Westminster Scottish secretary Alister Jack, MP for Dumfries and Galloway, has also hailed the scheme as a godsend, saying: “So far, nearly 800,000 jobs across Scotland have been saved by direct UK Government coronavirus support.

“Through the job retention scheme 628,200 Scottish jobs have been furloughed, and the UK Government has spent £425m on supporting 146,000 self-employed people in Scotland.

“In the south of Scotland alone, that amounts to more than 28,000 jobs saved.

“Rural communities such as ours face particular challenges, and I’m very pleased that the UK Government has been able to step in.

Walkerburn-based South Scotland Conservative list MSP Michelle Ballantyne added: “These figures from the job retention scheme are absolutely astonishing and highlight the support provided by the UK Government in order to protect thousands of jobs across the Borders.

“This crisis has truly shown the strength of being part of the union and the need for a UK-wide response to this unprecedented crisis.

“The job retention scheme from the UK Government has been one of the biggest support schemes in any country in the world, and these figures highlight just how many thousands of jobs have been protected over the last few months, including in the Borders.

“The UK Government has also provided further support through the self-employed scheme, bounce-back loans, VAT referrals and increases in universal credit, as well as £3.8bn worth of extra support through Barnett consequential funding.

“The UK Government has stepped up and supported businesses and individuals in the Borders throughout this crisis, safeguarding jobs, protecting our vulnerable and helping our economy recover in the future.”

The furlough scheme is due to run until the end of October but the UK Government’s contribution to the pay-packets of those benefiting will decrease over that time.

Mr Sunak, MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, said: “The UK Government is doing everything we can to protect jobs and businesses in Scotland and across the UK during the crisis.

“Our unprecedented job retention and self-employment support schemes have supported the livelihoods of millions and will help ensure our recovery is as swift as possible.”

Today’s statistics can be seen at www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics