LONDON: The FTSE 100 slipped from three-week highs on Thursday as apprehension over the local job market and a drop in China's retail sales chipped away at hopes for a swift economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 was down 0.7% and the mid-cap FTSE 250 was 0.6% lower.
Recruiter Hays slipped 1.3% as it warned of lower annual profits amid a slump in fee income. While data showed some improvement in the British job market last month, analysts posited a grim outlook due to the pandemic.
Ladbrokes owner GVC Holdings was among the worst performers on the FTSE 100 after it said long-time Chief Executive Kenny Alexander was retiring.
Power generator SSE Plc bucked the trend, closing more than 2% higher after it said it will maintain its dividend schedule despite the coronavirus.
A raft of global stimulus moves helped the FTSE 100 rally about 27% from its March lows, but it is still down about 17% on the year and has trailed its European and Wall Street peers as economic data points to a slower-than-expected rebound from the pandemic.