The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has released the UK unemployment figures for the period to  September, which has now reached 4.8 %, from the previous quarter where it came in at 4.5%.  However, with the furlough period extended, the expected end of the year rate that was looking more like 9% and possibly higher, will be significantly lower but is only going in one direction with furloughing masking the true unemployment figures. Current furloughed employees number 2.5 million.

During the period over 300,000 people were made redundant and with many business sectors in serious trouble due to the virus and the various measures introduced to combat it. Possibly the cavalry has arrived in the shape of the Government announced vaccine this week, to give hope and maybe lower the redundancy rate, once the furloughing pot has been well and truly drained but the collective sigh of relief that the crisis is over is many months away at best.