More than a quarter of workers in Caerphilly County Borough have been furloughed, latest figures reveal.

As of July 31, 22,000 jobs in the borough had been furloughed as part of the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), according to figures released by the Treasury last week.

Across Wales, that figure stands at 400,800 jobs – a 22,400 increase on figures for June.

Under the CJRS, employers can place staff on leave and claim a grant to cover 80% of their salary.

Meanwhile, the number of people receiving support from the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) in Caerphilly County Borough stands at 5,000, with £13.4m paid out in the borough.

Across Wales, 110,000 people have received support – worth a combined £295m – from the SEISS.

Simon Hart, secretary of state for Wales, said: “The CJRS will run until the end of October to continue the support for jobs and businesses as people return to work.

“Applications for the second SEISS grant opened this week [August 17], with those eligible able to claim a second and final grant of up to £6,570.”

Mr Hart added: “The two schemes are part of a comprehensive economic support package for individuals and businesses including loans, grants, income tax deferrals, rental support,?increased levels of Universal Credit, and mortgage holidays.”

For the latest information on UK Government support schemes visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support