British Workers Not on Furlough Continue to Put in the Hours

(Bloomberg) -- Britons continuing to work during the lockdown are getting little respite.

Overall, workers put in almost 20% fewer hours last quarter than a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday. The record decline can be attributed to the more than 7.5 million workers who were temporarily away from work, including those furloughed on government wage support.

Those still going to work, albeit virtually, have seen little change to their hours. They clocked about 33.7 per week in the three months through June, 1.5 more than in the period through May and only half an hour less than in the first quarter, according to data analyzed by Bloomberg.

With the economy gradually reopening, working hours are set to rise, though probably not to levels seen before the pandemic. Many of those currently furloughed are expected to be fired as the government phases out its support programs.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.