UK credit and debit card spending 35pc below pre-COVID level

LONDON: British households' spending on credit and debit cards last week remained 35% below its level at the start of coronavirus pandemic as COVID lockdown restrictions limit spending opportunities, official figures showed on Thursday.

The ONS released the data for the first time last week. The numbers are based on payment figures from the Bank of England and are not seasonally adjusted. The ONS classes them as 'experimental', meaning they are not fully validated.

Separate ONS survey data showed that 17% of British workers were furloughed in the period Dec. 28 to Jan. 10, up from 14% in the previous two-week period.