140,000 UK companies apply for coronavirus job furlough scheme
Fears that system would be overwhelmed seem unfounded as launch goes smoothly
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More than 140,000 companies employing a total of a million workers have applied to the government’s job furlough scheme on its first day of operation, the chancellor has announced.
The scheme allows employers to lay employees off temporarily and claim up to 80% of their salaries, to a maximum of £2,500 a month, and is designed to encourage businesses to avoid making redundancies.
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