Quarter of companies hit by strikes missing vital goods

MORE than a quarter of companies affected by strike chaos have been left without crucial goods, according to new data.

The figures, by the Office for National Statistics, also reveal that one in six businesses were affected by strike action in November.

The data is an early indicator of the havoc escalating industrial action is unleashing on Britain, as fresh strikes engulfed the transport network and parts of the civil service this week.

Disruption from strikes in December and January is likely to have an even wider impact on companies already struggling as the cost of living crisis forces households to limit spending.

Across Britain, 16pc of businesses said they were affected by the industrial action in November, which included rail strikes cancelled too late to reinstate services. The figure was highest in London, where more than a quarter of companies experienced disruptions.

In the capital, large proportions of businesses reported staff having to work remotely, scuppering the growing return to offices.

The data also showed that the labour market is still holding up remarkably well despite the recession.

Only one in 20 companies said they were planning to cut jobs, and a third are still experiencing labour shortages.

Hiring difficulties were most concentrated in health and social work, although the figures only include the private sector.

This comes as separate data from the Bank of England revealed that companies on average reported a 6.2pc employment growth last month compared with a year ago. This is the highest figure since the series began in 2017.

The figures suggest that it may be too early to speak of a weakening labour market, muddying the water for the Bank’s interest rate decision next month.

Wage growth has picked up too, as labour shortages mean workers in some sectors can still pick and choose despite the economic downturn. It reached a high of 6.6pc in the year to December, while companies are on average expecting another 6.3pc rise this year.

There were some tentative signs of the job market softening, with 71pc of businesses saying they were finding it more difficult to hire new recruits, down slightly from 78pc in November.

Other recent surveys of purchasing managers have found greater slowdowns in hiring and job cuts.