(Bloomberg) --
Britain had about 5.8% of its workforce on furlough at the start of this month, a small decline from the rate seen in August.
The Office for National Statistics said between 1.3 million to 1.7 million people were receiving the benefit, which pays 80% of wages to those whose workplaces were forced to close during the pandemic. The government is scrapping the program from next week, raising questions about whether the economy can absorb those workers into jobs.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
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