According to official figures, British consumer spending has fallen over the past week, and the proportion of people referred to reduced-pay vacations or only those who work from home has increased, as the country remains in lockdown due to the Coronavirus.
Spending on debit and credit cards, as measured by the Bank of England, was 28% below its level in February 2020 during the week ending February 11, representing a larger decline than recorded in the previous week at 24%.
The Office for National Statistics said that companies said that 20% of their employees were referred to reduced-pay vacations between January 25 and February 7, up from 18% two weeks ago, but without a peak of 30% recorded in June during the first lockdown period.