THE clock is ticking for almost one million workers as the end of the government’s furlough scheme approaches on October 31, Labour warned last night.

And employment analysts said that the figure could be much higher, with pubs and bars alone shedding 300,000 staff — one third of the sector — according to the British Beer and Pubs Association.

Most affected will be young workers and those in low-paid work.

Three million workers are currently dependent on Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Job Retention Scheme, which is being abolished.

Labour said workers were now approaching a “cliff edge” and called on the Chancellor to announce action to prevent the job losses during the Tory Party’s online conference, which ends tomorrow.

The north of England and the Midlands would be hit badly, Labour said, citing the examples of Birmingham, with 43,000 furloughed workers; Durham (19,400) and Bolton in Greater Manchester (11,500).

In Yorkshire 100,000 jobs are at risk including Leeds (31,000), Bradford (19,000) and the Huddersfield district (17,000).

The looming disaster comes as new restrictions on movement and gatherings, including a 10pm “curfew” for pubs and bars, have been imposed by the government on “huge swathes of the country,” Labour said.

Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds urged Mr Sunak to “get a grip of this crisis before it’s too late.” 

She said: “The government’s failure to get a functioning track, trace and isolate system working means large swathes of the country, including in the north and Midlands, are now under additional restrictions and face a jobs cliff edge.

“Labour urged the Chancellor to introduce a wage support scheme that incentivised employers to keep more staff on. 

“However, he ignored these calls and now nearly a million jobs are at risk when the furlough scheme ends in a few weeks’ time.”

She said Mr Sunak needs to “get a grip of the jobs crisis before it’s too late. 

“If he doesn’t, Britain risks an unemployment crisis greater than we have seen in decades — and Rishi Sunak’s name will be all over it.”

Under the Job Retention Scheme workers furloughed from their jobs received 80 per cent of their wages.

The government’s replacement Job Support Scheme will pay employers a maximum of only 22 per cent of workers’ wages.