United Kingdom: The economy remains stuck in low gear in the three months to January
According to monthly GDP data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), economic activity rose 0.5% in January over the prior month in seasonally-adjusted terms, contrasting December’s 0.4% fall. Despite the strong January showing, the quarter-on-quarter expansion for the November-January period was a mere 0.2%, matching the reading for October-December, and comes amid sluggish momentum in the rest of the EU and elevated Brexit uncertainty.
Looking at a sector-by-sector picture, the November-January reading was underpinned by a solid showing from the service sector, which was partially offset by contractions in the industry and construction sectors.