Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators: 11 April 2024

• In the latest week, aggregate UK spending on credit and debit cards decreased by 1%; this was 4% lower than the level in the equivalent week of 2023 (Bank of England CHAPS). Section 3: Consumer behaviour.

• The total number of online job adverts on 5 April 2024 decreased by 1% when compared with the previous week; this was 19% below the level seen for the equivalent period of 2023 (Adzuna). Section 4: B­­usiness and workforce.

• Looking ahead to May 2024, 21% of businesses expect their turnover to increase, 56% to stay the same, 10% to decrease, and 13% were unsure; this is broadly unchanged from the previous month (initial results from wave 106 of the Business insights and conditions survey). Section 4: Business and workforce.

• In the week up to 7 April 2024, the System Price of electricity and the System Average Price (SAP) of gas decreased by 36% and 6%, respectively, when compared with the previous week; both also remained lower than the levels seen for the equivalent week of 2023, by 52% and 40%, respectively (Elexon, National Gas Transmission). Section 5: Energy.

Notes:

1. Card spending over time is pushed upwards by the impacts of both inflation on value of transactions and cash-to-card conversion. 
2. Revolut adjustments to user count are at an aggregate level and as such age bands may not adjust evenly. 
3. Indicators with SA in the title have been seasonally adjusted.

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

Users should note that the "work-related" and "social" CHAPS series have been withdrawn in 2024 because of sample population issues. We will continue publishing the aggregate, staple and delayable series while we are undertaking a review of the component series and will provide an update in due course. Please note that the "work-related" and "social" categories still contribute to the "aggregate" series.

In the latest week, spending categories, when seasonally adjusted, recorded the following changes:

• "aggregate" decreased by 1%

• "delayable" increased by 2%

• "staple" decreased by 1%

When compared with the same week in 2023, the spending categories, when seasonally adjusted, recorded the following changes:

• "aggregate" decreased by 4%

• "delayable" decreased by 3%

• "staple" decreased by 8%

The monthly and weekly seasonally adjusted CHAPS indices, and the monthly and daily non-seasonally adjusted CHAPS indices, are available in our accompanying UK spending on credit and debit cards dataset.

UK spending on debit and credit cards: monthly, seasonally adjusted (SA) CHAPS-based indicator

In March 2024, the SA CHAPS-based aggregate indicator of credit and debit card spending increased by 3% when compared with the previous month, and increased by 2% when compared with March 2023.

After seasonal adjustment, the "staple" category was broadly unchanged when compared with the previous month, while the "delayable" category increased by 2%. The "staple" category was also broadly unchanged when compared with March 2023, and the "delayable" category decreased by 2%.

The monthly and weekly seasonally adjusted CHAPS indices, and the monthly and daily non-seasonally adjusted CHAPS indices, are available in our accompanying UK spending on credit and debit cards dataset, which includes methodological notes that users should take into consideration. The monthly CHAPS index is calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), rather than being an additional series that is produced and validated by the Bank of England.

National retail footfall

Overall retail footfall in the week to 7 April 2024 increased to 103% of the level seen in the previous week, and 98% of the level in the equivalent week of 2023.

Shopping centre footfall saw the largest week-on-week increase across the three location categories, rising to 105% of the level seen in the previous week. Retail park footfall increased to 104%, while high street footfall increased to 102%. When compared with the same period of 2023, retail park and shopping centre footfall increased to 104% and 101%, respectively, while high street footfall decreased, falling to 94% of the level seen in the equivalent week of 2023.

Overall retail footfall increased in 9 of the 12 UK countries and regions when compared against the previous week. The largest increases were seen in the South East and the East of England, rising to 107% and 106% of the level in the previous week, respectively. The largest week-on-week decrease was seen in Scotland, decreasing to 95%.

When compared against the equivalent week of the previous year, overall retail footfall decreased in 8 of the 12 UK countries and regions. The largest decreases were seen in Scotland and Wales, falling to 89% and 91% of the equivalent week in 2023, respectively.

Online job adverts

These figures are innovative estimates of online job adverts by category, UK country, and English region, provided by Adzuna, an online job search engine. The number of job adverts over time is an indicator of the demand for labour. The Adzuna categories used do not correspond to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) categories, so these values are not directly comparable with our Vacancy Survey.

The number of online job adverts on 5 April 2024 decreased by 1% when compared with the previous week. Of the 12 UK countries and English regions, 9 decreased, 1 increased and 2 remained broadly unchanged.

The total number of online job adverts fell by 19% when compared with the equivalent period of 2023, with all regions seeing a decrease when compared with the previous year. The largest decreases occurred in Scotland and London, decreasing by 28% and 25%, respectively.

When compared with the equivalent period of 2023, the total number of online job adverts fell in 25 of the 28 job categories. The largest decreases were seen in the "Construction and trades" and "Domestic Help" categories, falling by 49% and 48%, respectively. The remaining 3 of the 28 job categories increased when compared with the equivalent period of 2023, with the largest being seen in the "Part time and weekend" category, which increased by 118%.

Our accompanying Online job advert estimates dataset is available.

Business impact and insights

Advanced notification of potential redundancies

Calculated as a four-week rolling average, the number of potential redundancies in the week to 31 March 2024 was 15% above the level in the equivalent week of 2023, while the number of employers proposing redundancies was 3% above the level in the equivalent week of 2023.

Comparisons with the equivalent period a year ago help account for any seasonal impacts. For more information, our accompanying Advanced notification of potential redundancies dataset is available.

System Average Price (SAP) of gas 

The System Average Price (SAP) of gas decreased by 6% in the week to 7 April 2024, when compared with the previous week. This was 40% lower than the level seen in the equivalent week of 2023.

Our accompanying System Average Price of gas dataset is available.

System Price of electricity

The System Price of electricity decreased by 36% in the week to 7 April 2024 when compared with the previous week. This price was 52% lower than the level seen in the equivalent week of 2023.

Our accompanying System Price of electricity dataset is available.

Traffic camera activity

The average traffic camera activity for cars in London decreased by 1% in the week to 7 April 2024 when compared with the previous week. In the same period, average pedestrian and cyclist levels in London increased by 6%.

Our accompanying Traffic camera activity dataset is available.

Daily UK flights

In the week to 7 April 2024, the daily average number of UK flights increased by 7% when compared with the previous week and was 4% higher than during the equivalent week of 2023.

Our accompanying Daily UK flights 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 estimates, which represent useful economic and social concepts.

Official statistics in development

These statistics are labelled as "official statistics in development". Until September 2023, these were called "experimental statistics". Read more about the change in our Guide to official statistics in development.

We are developing how we collect and produce the data to improve the quality of these statistics. Read more in our Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators methodology article.

Once the developments are complete, we will review the statistics with the Statistics Head of Profession. We will decide whether the statistics are of sufficient quality and value to be published as official statistics, or whether further development is needed. Production may be stopped if they are not of sufficient quality or value. Users will be informed of the outcome and any changes.

We value your feedback on these statistics. Contact us at realtime.indicators@ons.gov.uk.

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 Official Statistics in development.

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.