More than 600,000 UK workers lost their jobs during lockdown

The ONS found the number of UK workers on payrolls fell by 612,000 between March and May as lockdown hit the economy (Picture: Getty)

More than 600,000 people in the UK lost their jobs during lockdown, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS found that the number of UK workers on payrolls fell by more than 600,000 between March and May as the coronavirus crisis took its toll on the UK economy.

The ONS said early estimates showed the number of paid employees dropped by 2.1% – or 612,000 – in May compared with March.

The number of people temporarily away from work, including furloughed workers, rose by six million at the end of March into April.

The ONS said jobless claims under Universal Credit jumped 23.3% month-on-month in May to 2.8 million and soared 125.9% or 1.6 million since March when the UK was placed in lockdown.

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Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the ONS, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘There is a lot going on in the labour market at the moment.

‘In the two months to May we saw a 600,000 fall in the number of people on the payroll. So, we are starting to see a worsening, worsening labour market.’

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