Reuters reports that demand for labour in Britain may have hit its low point in May before recovering slightly in June, based on a study of online job advertisements, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday.

"Experimental online job adverts data imply the worst impact of the pandemic on labour demand was experienced in May, and some sectors increased hiring in June," the ONS said, after looking at data from online jobs portal Adzuna.

May marked the first easing of the coronavirus virus lockdown restrictions and more businesses reopened in June, which the ONS said contributed to an increase of hiring activities in some sectors.

Demand for retail and catering workers picked up modestly in June after collapsing in April and May, while appetite for healthcare workers - who have been in strong demand throughout - showed little change.

Still, the overall index of job vacancies remained well below its pre-COVID levels as of late June, the ONS data showed.