MORE than 7,100 people in the city were on furlough at the end of February, the latest figures show.

A total of 3,600 men and and 3,800 women in Worcester had been furloughed by February 28 - around 14 and 15 per cent of those eligible for the government's coronavirus job retention scheme.

That figure had dropped from 7,400 people at the end of January according to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

The figures also give a breakdown of the types of jobs that people were furloughed from in January and February.

Predictably, the area of work with the most people on furlough in Worcester was the hospitality industry and retail.

A total of 1,850 people working in hotels, restaurants, bars and pubs were on furlough in February with 1,4000 people in retail furloughed.

A total of 690 people working in administrative and support services in the city had been furloughed whilst as many as 590 people working in the arts and entertainment industry in Worcester had been furloughed by the end of February.

The coronavirus job retention scheme was extended until September 30 by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March's budget.

HMRC figures show a total of 440 people working in manufacturing had been furloughed and 250 people working in health and social work had been furloughed.

A total of 420 people working in education had been furloughed by the end of February, the figures showed, with 180 people working in construction and 190 people working in transport and storage also furloughed.

As many as 70 people working in agricultural in Worcester were furloughed.

According to the figures, a total of 39,100 people in Worcestershire were claiming furlough at the end of February - down from 41,100 in January.

As many as 8,560 people in the county working in the hospitality industry had been furloughed with 7,780 retail workers furloughed at the end of February.

A total of 3,790 people working in manufacturing, 3,270 people working in admin and support and 2,800 working in the arts and entertainment industry in Worcestershire had been furloughed at the end of February.

HMRC figures showed 1,780 people working in construction in Worcestershire were furloughed at the end of February.

A total of 8,700 people in Wychavon, which includes Evesham, Pershore and Droitwich, had been furloughed as of the end of February compared to 4,800 people in Malvern Hills.