Reuters reports that a survey of employment agencies showed that britain's coronavirus lockdown squeezed demand for staff last month, with spending on temporary workers growing at its slowest rate in seven months.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation said overall demand for staff had stabilised at a lower level after falling sharply in February, with a further decline in permanent hiring.

"The jobs market remains on hold with hiring decisions stalled, people reluctant to seek new roles and the growth in temporary billings has also slowed," said James Stewart, vice chair of accountants KPMG, who sponsor the survey.

On Wednesday finance minister Rishi Sunak extended the government's furlough scheme - currently supporting around one in five private-sector workers at a cost of 53.8 billion pounds ($74.3 billion) so far - until the end of September.