Thousands were still on furlough when scheme ended – according to figures

They were among more than one million workers being supported across the UK when the scheme wrapped up, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies said what happens to them is "critical" for the economy.

The latest data from HM Revenue and Customs shows 4,400 jobs held by workers living in Shropshire were furloughed as of September 30 – 3.4 per cent of all that were eligible.

That was 1,000 fewer than the number on the scheme a month previously.

For Telford & Wrekin it was 2,500 jobs – 3.2 per cent of all that were eligible, and 700 fewer than the number on the scheme a month previously.

In Powys 1,600 were still on furlough, 3.3 per cent of those eligible – 300 fewer than the month before.

In Shropshire 51,300 jobs have been furloughed in the area at various times since the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme began in March 2020, with 32,000 in Telford & Wrekin and 19,500 in Powys.

They are among 11.7 million jobs across the UK to have received wage support from the Government at some point, though the scheme was being used less as coronavirus restrictions eased.

At the end of September, the CJRS was supporting 1.1 million jobs – the lowest number since March 22 last year.

The Treasury said around half of those still being supported were already working some of their hours.

From August 1, employers had to contribute 20 per cent of employees’ wages up to £625, with the Government contributing 60 per cent, up to £1,875.

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics estimate 87 per cent of furlough workers have since returned to work, three per cent were made permanently redundant and three per cent voluntarily left their role.

Tom Waters, senior research economist at the IFS, said: "Early statistics don’t suggest any significant increase in redundancies, suggesting that many employees will be rehired into their old jobs.

"With unemployment barely exceeding five per cent at any point since the crisis began, we can safely say that the furlough scheme has prevented a substantial amount of job loss – but it has come with a huge price tag, at a total cost of almost £70 billion.”

Across the UK, men were slightly more likely to be on furlough than women at the end of September.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said furlough helped people "when they needed it most", while the Government's Plan for Jobs will deliver more opportunities going forward.

He added: "As a result of our action the economy is growing, more employees are on payrolls than ever before and unemployment has fallen for eight months in a row."