UK economy grows as GDP rises by 0.6% after major slump | City & Business | Finance

The UK economy continued its recovery from recession at the end of last year as growth extended over the latest quarter, according to official data.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.6% between April and June, in line with economist predictions.

In June, there was no economic growth recorded for the month as weakness in services was offset by improvements in the manufacturing sector.

It came after no growth was recorded in April due to an impact from wet weather, and then 0.4% growth in May as the economy recovered.

The second-quarter performance came after 0.7% growth in the first quarter, after a shallow recession over the second half of 2023.

ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: “The UK economy has now grown strongly for two quarters, following the weakness we saw in the second half of last year.

“Growth across the three months was led by the service sector, where scientific research, the IT industry and legal services all did well.

“In June growth was flat with services falling, due to a weak month for health, retailing and wholesaling, offset by widespread growth in manufacturing.”

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