Economics
Almost 20% of U.K. Workforce Furloughed as Third Lockdown Got Under Way
- Proportion on leave now the highest since July, ONS data shows
- Findings come a day after Johnson warns curbs to last to March
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Almost one in five of the U.K. workforce was on furlough leave as a third national lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus got under way, according to figures published Thursday.
The report will raise concerns that removing government lifelines for jobs could wreak havoc on the economy following the worst slump in three centuries last year. Pulling the plug would threaten to decimate consumer spending, the engine of growth.