UK economic woes: Strikes, interest hikes and a recession ahead

Published February 3, 2023 at 10:33 AM PST

Thousands of schools will close some or all of their classrooms, train services will be paralyzed and delays are expected at airports as teachers, university staff, civil servants, border officials and train and bus drivers walk out of their jobs on the same day. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)

This week, the UK saw its biggest industrial action in a decade. Half a million workers walked off jobs this week, including teachers, civil servants, train and bus drivers, border officials and university staff.

The Bank of England has also raised interest rates to the highest level in 14 years and confirmed a recession was on the way.

David Smith is the economics editor of The Sunday Times in the UK and joins Here & Now‘s Scott Tong to unpack the latest from across the pond.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.