NI furlough figures rise to 106,200 by the end of January

The number of people on furlough in Northern Ireland increased by almost 27,000 between the end of November and the end of January.

The increase was driven by new lockdown restrictions which have closed non-essential retail since 26 December.

There were 79,300 workers furloughed at the end of November, rising to 96,500 at the end of December and 106,200 at the end of January.

That means about 14% of NI employee jobs are currently furloughed.

The furlough scheme involves the government paying the wages of people who can not work due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The scheme pays employees placed on leave up to 80% of their salary, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.

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The scheme is due to run until the end of April but there is speculation that the chancellor will extend it as part of next week's budget.

HMRC figures show that in the UK as a whole, 4.7 million people were on furlough at the end of January, that is well below the peak of almost nine million during the first lockdown in April 2020.

Hospitality jobs account for about a quarter of the current total at 1.15 million.

Non-essential retail in Northern Ireland has been closed since 26 December

Meanwhile, the latest figures for the self-employed support scheme shows that 62,000 people in Northern Ireland received a grant.

This version of the scheme covers the period from November to January.

It covers 80% of profits for November, December and January, up to a total limit of £7,500 - paid in a single instalment.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to outline details of a fresh payment to the self-employed in the Budget. This will cover the three-month period from the start of February until the end of April.