Hundreds more workers in Barrow were on furlough last month as stricter lockdown restrictions were imposed.

HM Revenue and Customs data reveals around 3,500 jobs held by workers living in Barrow were furloughed as of January 31.

That was 700 more than the 2,800 furloughed a month earlier, when the UK was on the cusp of its third national lockdown.

The latest number is still far lower than in May last year – the earliest month with comparable figures – when there were 6,300 furloughed jobs.

Across the UK, 4.7 million jobs were furloughed as of January 31, a steep rise from four million a month before, but still well below the 8.7 million in May 2020.

Charlie McCurdy, researcher at the Resolution Foundation think tank which focuses on living standards, said: “Today’s HMRC data shows that the Job Retention Scheme again took the strain during the latest lockdown with an increase of almost a million people on the scheme during January.

"Furlough has once again played a crucial role in protecting incomes and keeping a lid on rising unemployment. But with almost five million workers still on furlough in the most recent data, our biggest labour market challenges may be ahead of, rather than behind, us.”

Workers on furlough are currently receiving 80 per cent of their wage, up to £2,500 a month, if their employers are eligible.

It is rumoured that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing to extend the income support scheme into the summer, to coincide with the prime minister’s roadmap out of lockdown.