'Eat out to help out' fuels UK economic recovery in August

Guardian analysis shows pace of job cuts on back of Covid-19 crisis remains the concern

• UK economy in August: sales jump but tough choices lie ahead
• Frances O'Grady: act now to avoid mass unemployment

Britain's economic recovery from Covid-19 gathered pace in the past month, fuelled by consumer spending and people taking advantage of the government's eat out to help out" scheme, despite fears mounting over rapid growth in unemployment.

On the Guardian's latest monthly tracker of economic news since the pandemic spread to Britain this spring, the release of pent-up demand with the easing of lockdown is driving the sharpest rebound in economic growth among the G7 advanced economies, while retail spending has returned to pre-crisis levels.

Related: UK retail sales rise above pre-Covid levels as lockdown eases