Unemployment in Britain Hit 4.5 Percent in August Amid Winter Job Fears

People sit in the Dispensary pub in Liverpool, England, on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. The British government has carved England into three tiers of risk in a bid to slow the spread of a resurgent CCP virus. The northern city of Liverpool is in the highest category and will close pubs, gyms, and betting shops. Jon Super/AP Photo

Britain’s unemployment figures rose to 4.5 percent in August according to data published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The sharp rise in the jobless figures comes amid fears of yet more job losses ahead of winter and the end of the government’s huge subsidy program for furloughed workers, which expires on Oct. 31, and is to be replaced by a less generous scheme.