Parts of the economy less hit by the pandemic are exposed to bigger negative impacts from Brexit

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK has been continuing its preparations to leave the EU by the end of 2020. COVID-19 has had a huge negative impact on the UK economy and Brexit will present another profound change in circumstances for UK businesses. Analysing real-time business survey data from the UK, this column shows that sectoral impacts of COVID-19 and Brexit are very different. Sectors that have suffered less during the lockdown are the ones that are exposed to bigger negative impacts from Brexit, as measured by actual effects since the Brexit vote and predicted effects from higher trade barriers with the EU, write Josh De Lyon and Swati Dhingra (LSE).