THOUSANDS of Fifers were still on furlough when the scheme closed at the end of September, figures show.

They were among more than one million workers being supported across the UK when the scheme wrapped up, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies said what happens to them is "critical" for the economy.

The latest data from HM Revenue and Customs shows 4,400 jobs held by workers living in Fife were furloughed as of September 30 – 2.9 per cent of all that were eligible.

That was 900 fewer than the number on the scheme a month previously.

And the furlough rate in Fife was well below the average across the UK, of four per cent.

Around 55,600 jobs have been furloughed in the area at various times since the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CRJS) began in March 2020, the figures show.

Across the UK, men were slightly more likely to be on furlough than women at the end of September.

And the same was true in Fife, with 3.1 per cent of eligible jobs held by men on the scheme, compared to 2.7 per cent for women.

In Fife, the retail sector was the most reliant on the CJRS at this time, making up 17 per cent of all furloughed jobs.