Staggering job losses show need to extend furlough

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures show that the economy shed 695,000 jobs between March and August this year.

• The unemployment rate grew to 4.1% in the three months to July, compared with 3.9% previously.
• There were 156,000 fewer young people in employment in the three months to July. 16-24sffered the biggest drop in employment.
• Some 695,000 UK workers have disappeared from the payrolls of UK firms since March.
• More than 5m people (including furloughed workers) were still temporarily away from work in July.

"These staggering job losses are yet more evidence of why the Chancellor should be extending the furlough scheme, which has so far protected 10 million jobs, until the middle of next year. Liberal Democrat Economy Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

"People have a right to expect that their Government will stand by them in exactly the way that Rishi Sunak promised when he said he would "do whatever it takes.

"The Liberal Democrats' are clear that the Government must extend the furlough scheme until the jobs market is ready to bounce back."