LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - One in 20 Britons has lost a job because of the coronavirus outbreak and 9 per cent experienced a reduction in hours or pay, according to YouGov.

The survey was taken on the first two days of Britain's official lockdown, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson banning all unnecessary movement of people for at least three weeks and requiring the closure of non-essential businesses.

There have been about 477,000 new claims for state support payments, according to Mr Peter Schofield, Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions.