Job retention schemes continue to back thousands of north posts
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
OVER 80,000 jobs have been supported across the north-east by two UK government job retention schemes, latest figures have revealed.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CRTS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) have between them supported a total of 82,200 jobs, according to statistics released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recently.
In Moray some 11,700 posts have been furloughed to date through the CJRS, with Aberdeenshire recording a figure of 29,700.
Under SEISS, 3400 and 6600 claims were submitted for Moray and Aberdeenshire respectively.
The CJRS and SEISS were announced by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and are run by HMRC, as part of a package of support measures for businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
CJRS will run until the end of October to continue the support for jobs and businesses as people return to work.
The SEISS was rolled out ahead of schedule in May and has financially supported 13,100 self-employed individuals in the north-east who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak and paid grants worth a total of £41.2 million up to May 31.
On May 29, the Chancellor announced an extension to this scheme. Those eligible to claim the SEISS grant will be able to claim a second and final grant in August of up to £6750.
Moray MP Douglas Ross welcomed the figures.
He said: “These figures highlight that nearly 13,000 people across Moray benefited from the UK Government’s job retention scheme, which has enabled employers to retain their skills and keep jobs open.
"In simple terms the scheme has helped these individuals protect their jobs and their livelihoods as we faced the worst of this pandemic.
“The take up rate in Moray at 31 per cent is equal to the Scottish rate as a whole and slightly higher than the UK 30 per cent average.
“These figures show that a total of 736,500 workers across Scotland have been paid 80 per cent of their wages by the UK government during this pandemic, and many will now have started to return to work. This scheme put in place by the Chancellor of the Exchequer has enabled businesses to get back up and running as soon as restrictions were eased.
“This situation was un-precedented and the UK government has risen to the challenge. With other measures now put in place to help the hospitality sector for example, including a reduction in their rate of VAT, will assist the whole of the UK in our efforts to get the economy back up and running.”
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston also hailed the latest statistics.
“There is no doubt that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s response to the pandemic has been remarkable in the scale and the rapidity with which the Treasury delivered the support to those who needed it.
“It’s been heartening to see UK resources mobilised in this way to protect businesses, help them get through this crisis and give them a chance to get going again as the lockdown relaxes.
“These initiatives have been vital for individuals and businesses across the Highlands and Islands, with 12,900 people supported in Moray alone through the job retention scheme and over £8 million claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
“But we should also remember that we are by no means out of the woods yet. This is the 'end of the beginning' rather than the 'beginning of the end' when it comes to dealing with the economic consequences of the coronavirus.
“However, it’s been an encouraging start and what we need to see now is the Scottish Government working more closely with the UK government to ensure that continuing support is made available to our businesses as and when they require it.
“That will require SNP ministers to start acknowledging the unprecedented support being provided rather than, as was regrettably the case with the SNP’s latest Finance Minister Kate Forbes recently, making statements which seemed designed to mislead about the true amount coming to Scotland.”
Read more news here.
