MORE pressure was piled on the government today to offer financial furlough support for workers in coronavirus-hit sectors beyond October.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s call to extend the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) comes after Tory MPs voted down Labour’s proposal to do so in the Commons this week.

A temporary furlough scheme is needed to avoid a surge in unemployment across sectors such as hospitality, retail, and beauty when the current JRS ends on 31 October, the foundation warned.