Rishi Sunak told ending furlough puts 2 million viable jobs in peril

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is putting 2 million viable jobs in peril by ending his coronavirus jobs support programme too early, risking an unnecessary unemployment crisis, according to a think tank.

The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that 3 million workers will still be relying on the plan when it ends in October, two-thirds of whom are in roles that would be sustainable if the help was extended into next year.

Removing the support early would “cause long-lasting damage to the economy and to people’s lives,” the report said. 

The popular programme is already being tapered, and the report may