We asked whether the Departments had undertaken any evaluation on the regional differences in take-up or the schemes and take-up by groups with protected characteristics.24 HMRC currently reports monthly on the cost of the schemes and provides analysis on take-up by different demographics. The data for October 2020 showed that CJRS had cost £41.4 billion and the two SEISS grants had cost £13.7 billion.25 Take up for CJRS was largest amongst the wholesale and retail, and repair of motor vehicles, sectors, whilst in SEISS it was largest in the construction sector. It is also possible to analyse take-up by age and gender, as well as by parliamentary constituency for both schemes.26 HMRC does not, however, monitor take-up of the schemes by different ethnic groups as it is not required to collect that data as part of its regular tax administration. HM Treasury commented that it looked at Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to consider the potential effects of the schemes on unemployment, including regional unemployment.27 ONS’ unemployment data for July to September 2020 showed that the unemployment rate was 4.8%, up from 4.0% in March 2020.28 HMRC told us it had done some preliminary research about what happened to furloughed workers once they come off furlough, which suggested that around 90% of them return to their previous job.29 The medium to long-term projections on unemployment, however, are less encouraging; the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast, released on 25 November 2020, suggests that unemployment might peak at 7.6%, or 2.6 million people, in 2021.30