A year of Covid crisis: a glimmer of economic hope at the end of the tunnel

Twelve months after the pandemic struck the Guardian's economic tracker reveals real risk of lasting damage

• UK economy poised to recover after Covid-19 second wave
• Andy Haldane: only a skills plan can protect against fallout

When Boris Johnson announced the first stay-at-home order, effectively shutting down whole sections of the economy, it was hoped the tide could be turned within 12 weeks. As many months later, lockdown measures are being relaxed for a third time and Britain still faces a lengthy road to recovery from the worst recession for 300 years.

As restrictions ease, the chief economist at the Bank of England, Andy Haldane, warned that despite the reopening of the economy, the risk of a jobs equivalent of long Covid" remains for workers across the country.