It’s hard to say what has has caused more negative effects to the economic development of UK: the virus or the measures to tackle the outbreak. Anyway, the economic is deeply affected and export is tumbled. It has been reflected not only in GDP figures but in jobless people too.

The number of unemployment benefits claims in Britain increased by more than half a million in May due to the COVID-19 crisis and quarantine. According to the UK statistics office, the total number of claims for benefits due to the crisis and strict measures has risen to 2.8 million.

The April figure was revised to more than a million new applications. According to the statistical office, more than 11 million jobs are saved through government support though. In addition, the government pays 80 percent of the wages of employees who have been sent on temporary leave but are not fired yet.

Last week it was announced that the British economy shrank by more than 20 percent in April due to the crisis and quarantine measures to combat the virus outbreak. That was the strongest downturn ever recorded in Britain.