UK's hidden problem of rising unemployment may soon be exposed

End of furlough scheme likely to unmask true impact of coronavirus crisis on workers

• Paid employment falls 650,000 since March
  
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The chancellor could be forgiven for checking the jobs data and considering himself satisfied. Not much changed in the headline figures and that is what he would expect after putting the economy in the deep freeze.

Rishi Sunak paid almost everyone who could not work to stand still , and that was mostly what they did.

The coronavirus lockdown has prompted some of the UK's most prominent companies to announce large-scale job losses. The aviation, automotive and retail sectors have been among the worst hit, as businesses adjust to dramatically reduced revenue projections.