2,500 come off furlough in Northumberland

The latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that 7,200 jobs held by workers living in the area were furloughed as of June 30 – six per cent of all that were eligible.

That was 2,500 fewer than the 9,700 furloughed at the end of May.

The number of furloughed hospitality employees fell by 1,420, from 2,720 to 1,300.

This was followed by the arts sector, which saw 300 people come off the scheme, and 240 in retail.

Nationally, the number of furloughed workers fell to 1.9million in June and the figures come ahead of a further reduction in Government support for employees' wages.

Workers were guaranteed 80% of their salaries from the scheme.

In July, employers had to pick up 10% of their salaries and – from August 1 – they will have to cover 20% of furlough pay until the scheme closes at the end of September.

Low pay pressure group, The Resolution Foundation, say that the economy's reliance on furlough is still a "cause for concern".

Charlie McCurdy, economist at the think-tank, said: “With employer contributions to furloughed staff doubling, and the scheme ending completely in just two months, it’s vital that as many furloughed staff as possible return to work soon, in order to limit the rise in unemployment this autumn.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “It’s fantastic to see businesses across the UK open, employees returning to work and the numbers of furloughed jobs falling to their lowest levels since the scheme began.”