UK furlough rate reportedly at highest level since July

ONS reports on the situation for the period of 11-24 January

They estimate that 17% of the workforce is on furlough, the highest level since July while the percentage of businesses currently trading remains at 71%.

Meanwhile, spending data for the week ending 21 January reveals that UK card spending (credit and debit card purchases) held around 35% below February 2020 levels - just before the pandemic struck.

This at least helps to shed more light when interpreting UK data in general.