UK's Sunak to set out future of job support programme on Thursday

British finance minister Rishi Sunak will set out the future of the country's coronavirus job support programme on Thursday, just weeks before the 52 billion pound ($66 billion) programme is set to expire at the end of October.

British finance minister Rishi Sunak will set out the future of the country's coronavirus job support programme on Thursday, just weeks before the 52 billion pound ($66 billion) programme is set to expire at the end of October. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme supported 8.9 million jobs at its peak in May and was still paying most of the wages of around 5 million Britons at the end of July.

Sunak has repeatedly ruled out a wholesale extension of the programme - which is due to close sooner than its equivalents in other countries - but has come under pressure to find other options as rising COVID-19 cases have derailed recovery. "As our response to coronavirus adapts, tomorrow afternoon I will update the House of Commons on our plans to continue protecting jobs through the winter," Sunak said.

Broadcaster Channel 5 News said Sunak no longer planned to hold a full annual budget later this year due to the uncertainty created by COVID-19. Britain's finance ministry had no immediate comment on this report. ($1 = 0.7831 pounds)