Britain’s economy grew more than expected in November, official data showed Thursday, handing a boost to the Labour government after recent weak figures.
Gross domestic product increased 0.3 per cent from the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said, beating an analyst consensus forecast for growth of 0.1 per cent.
GDP had fallen 0.1 per cent in October, the ONS confirmed, adding that September saw slight growth after it had initially reported a contraction for that month.
The September-November period was “led by growth in the services sector”, said Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS.
A Treasury spokesperson said in a separate statement there was “more to do” for boosting growth and “keeping inflation low and stable, tackling the cost of living and bringing our borrowing costs down”.
The November growth figures, the first major official reading on the UK economy since the start of the year, came ahead of unemployment and inflation figures due next week.
AFP
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
