More Than a Quarter of UK Firms Cut Staff as CCP Virus Hits

More than a quarter of British companies reduced staff levels over the short term because of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

City workers head to work during the morning rush hour in Southwark in central London on April 16, 2014. Toby Melville/Reuters

LONDON—More than a quarter of British companies reduced staff levels over the short term as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus crisis began to hammer the country’s economy, a survey published on Thursday showed.

“Over a quarter (27 percent) of responding businesses said they were reducing staff levels in the short term, while 5 percent reported recruiting staff in the short term,” the Office for National Statistics said.