HUNDREDS fewer workers in Monmouthshire were on furlough in April, as coronavirus restrictions started easing across the UK.

Many pub, restaurant and shop workers returned to their roles that month as outdoor hospitality and non-essential retail opened for the first time since December.

However, with restrictions still in place, businesses in other sectors continue to be hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

HM Revenue and Customs figures show that 3,700 jobs held by workers living in Monmouthshire were furloughed in April.

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That was 900 fewer than the 4,600 furloughed at the end of March.

The figures also show that in April in Monmouthshire:

• Furloughed jobs in the retail sector dropped by 230, to 670

• In the arts, entertainment and recreation sectors, 50 fewer jobs were supported by the scheme, however 150 were still furloughed in April

• The number of hospitality jobs furloughed fell by 160, to 1,040

Through the scheme, the UK Government pays 80 per cent of a worker’s wages, up to £2,500 per month, if they haven’t been able to work due to the impact of the pandemic.

However, employers will pay a larger contribution from July.

Across the UK, the total number of jobs furloughed fell by 900,000 during April to 3.4 million at the end of the month, the figures show.

Dan Tomlinson, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, which focuses on living standards, said the drop in the number of people on furlough was “encouraging”.

He added that it is an indicator that the labour market – as well as the wider economy – is recovering quickly.

“But with around one in six young workers still on furlough at the end of April, today’s figures are a stark reminder of the risk of rising unemployment when the furlough scheme ends,” he said.

“The Government must do all it can to ensure those workers find work as quickly as possible.”

Separate HMRC figures show 4,000 self-employed workers in Monmouthshire have received Government cash since the self-employment income support scheme started.The total value of the claims made across the area were £31.4 million by May 9.