UK Economy Grows 0.4% in May: Official Statistics
By Jose Resurreccion
Jul 11, 2024 05:03 AM EDT
Jul 11, 2024 05:03 AM EDT
(Photo : JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The United Kingdom's Office of National Statistics (ONS) released the latest economic figures, which revealed that the country's economy grew by 0.4% in May.
It is understood that the month-to-month rise from April was double the expected figure of 0.2%, as projected by a Reuters poll.
ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said that multiple sectors saw increases in May, including retailers and wholesalers.
This came as the country welcomed Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party into government after winning last week's general election, which also meant a rise in British stocks at the FTSE 100.
Starmer is in Washington for the NATO summit, his first major international engagement as British prime minister.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that British chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to reboot the economy by ensuring that the country secures the highest sustained growth in the G7.
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The ONS's data revealed a broad-based increase in economic output, specifically in the services and manufacturing industries. The construction industry specifically recorded a substantial 1.9% growth due to a strong performance in the housing sector.
The Financial Times reported that the British economy expanded by 0.9% in the second quarter, the strongest reading since the previous one.
Last month, the Bank of England predicted that the economy would grow by 0.5% in the second quarter.
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