UK companies facing COVID-19 “pincer movement”, data shows
20 April 2020
New data shows a spike in limited companies going out of business - coupled with a big decline in new starts - has hit all regions and sectors since the start of March.
New data suggests the UK economy is facing a worrying “pincer movement” due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a surge in limited companies going bust being mirrored by a drop in new firms setting up.
The analysis by the Enterprise Research Centre shows that 61,472 limited companies folded between the start of March and mid-April, with a parallel drop in the numbers of new firms registering with Companies House.
Comparing figures from March this year with the full month’s data from last March, the number of firms going out of business was 70% higher than a year ago (up 21,206), while the number of new firms incorporated fell by 23% (14,270 fewer).
