Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators: 23 November 2023

• The total number of online job adverts on 17 November 2023 decreased by 4% when compared with the previous week, and decreased by 17% when compared with the equivalent period in 2022 (Adzuna). Section 3: Business and workforce.

• Nearly half (48%) of businesses are not intending on implementing increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward; in comparison, 18% of businesses are either using or intending to use increased homeworking, while 10% are unsure (initial results from Wave 96 of the Business Insights and Conditions Survey).

• In the week to 16 November 2023, aggregate credit and debit card spending decreased by 1% compared with the previous week and decreased by 2% compared with the equivalent week in 2022 (Bank of England CHAPS-based indicator, seasonally adjusted). Section 4: Consumer behaviour.

• In the latest week, the System Average Price (SAP) of gas increased by 14% when compared with the previous week and increased by 7% when compared with the equivalent week of 2022 (National Gas Transmission). Section 5: Energy.

• Compared with the previous week, the average number of daily ship visits to major UK ports increased by 4% and average traffic camera activity for cars in London fell by 1% (exactEarth, Transport for London). Section 6: Transport.

Notes:

1. Card spending over time is pushed upwards by the effects of both inflation on value of transactions and cash-to-card conversion.
2. Indicators with SA in the title have been seasonally adjusted.
3. The aggregate UK spending on debit and credit cards (estimated from CHAPS payments) series has been updated and now presents weekly seasonally adjusted data.
4. Shipping data has experienced an overhaul of the data collection and processing systems resulting in a level shift across the entire time series compared with previous releases.

Online job adverts

The total number of online job adverts decreased by 4% on 17 November 2023 when compared with the previous week. When comparing with the equivalent period in 2022, total online job adverts decreased by 17%. However, they remained 2% above the pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic baseline (February 2020).

All UK regions and countries saw a decrease in online job adverts on 17 November 2023, when compared with the equivalent period in 2022. The largest year-on-year decreases were seen in Yorkshire and The Humber and London, both falling by 25% in the year.

Our accompanying Online job advert estimates dataset is available.

UK spending on debit and credit cards: weekly, seasonally adjusted CHAPS-based indicator

In the week to 16 November 2023, the seasonally adjusted aggregate CHAPS-based indicator of credit and debit card purchases decreased by 1% compared with the previous week. It decreased by 2% when compared with the equivalent week in 2022.

Our accompanying UK spending on debit and credit cards dataset is available.

Automotive fuel spending

In the week to 12 November 2023, the estimated growth in demand for fuel per transaction decreased by 1 percentage point when compared with the previous week. However, it increased by 9 percentage points when compared with the equivalent period of last year.

Average growth in fuel prices remained unchanged in the week to 12 November 2023, when compared with the previous week. This latest value is 27 percentage points below the equivalent week in 2022.

Our accompanying Automotive fuel spending dataset is available.

National retail footfall

Overall, retail footfall in the week to 19 November 2023 increased to 102% of the level in the previous week. The latest week's level decreased to 99% of the level seen in the equivalent week of 2022 and 88% of the level in the equivalent week in 2019.

Of the 12 UK countries and English regions, nine increased above the level seen in the previous week, one remained unchanged and two decreased. The largest increases were seen in the North West and Northern Ireland, at 106% and 105% of the level in the previous week, respectively. The largest decrease was seen in Scotland, at 97% of the level in the previous week.

System Average Price (SAP) of gas 

In the week to 19 November 2023, the System Average Price (SAP) of gas increased by 14% when compared with the previous week. It increased by 7% when compared with the equivalent week of 2022.

Our accompanying System Average Price of gas dataset is available.

Weekly shipping indicators

In the week to 19 November 2023, the average number of daily ship visits increased by 4%, going from 169 to 176 daily visits from the previous week. The average number of daily visits from cargo and tanker ships increased by 6%, over the same period. These increases follow potential disruptions caused by Storm Debi in the previous week.

When compared with the same period of 2022, the average daily number of ship visits increased by 2%, while cargo and tanker ship visits decreased by 5%.

Our accompanying Weekly shipping indicators dataset is available.

Traffic camera activity

Average traffic camera activity for cars in London in the week to 19 November 2023 fell by 1%, when compared with the level of the previous week. However, it was 105% of the pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) level. Pedestrian and cyclist levels in London remained unchanged when compared with the level of the previous week and were 92% of the pre-coronavirus level.

Our accompanying Traffic camera activity dataset is available.

This section lists a selection of the data available in this publication. For the full list of available datasets, please see our accompanying dataset page.

Real-time indicator

A real-time indicator provides insights into economic activity using close-to-real-time big data, administrative data sources, rapid response surveys or Experimental Statistics, which represent useful economic and social concepts.

Information on the methodology used to produce the indicators in this bulletin is available in our Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators methodology.

These statistics have been produced to provide timely indicators of the effect of developing world events on the UK economy and society, using close-to-real-time big data, administrative data sources, rapid response surveys, or Experimental Statistics.

The data presented in this bulletin are reviewed and refreshed on a regular basis. Indicators are swapped in and out of the publication based on their suitability and availability.

UK coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions

Coronavirus restrictions should be considered when interpreting the data featured throughout this bulletin.

Seasonality

Seasonal fluctuations are likely to be present in many of these indicators so caution must be applied when interpreting changes in series that are not seasonally adjusted.