The UK’s economy experienced no growth during the month of April due to the impact of wet weather on consumer spending. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded no change in line with economists’ predictions. The country had experienced its fastest growth rate seen in two years between January to March and had just exited a recession at the end of last year. As such, the economy is currently a significant point of focus for political parties in the lead-up to the general election on the 4th of July.
While spending on services saw an increase for the fourth consecutive month, this growth was undermined by declines in production and the construction industry. In March, the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) had grown by 0.4%, but no growth was seen in April. Within the services sector, some segments performed better than others, namely the information, communication, and scientific sector while shop trade saw a downturn.
The ONS said some retail business owners had revealed their output had been harmed by the unusually wet weather, with total rainfall for the month exceeding the long-term annual average. While services catering to consumers witnessed a decline of 0.7%, economists urge that too much emphasis should not be put on shifts in economic activity over the span of one month as they are heavily influenced by factors such as the weather and timing of the Easter holidays. Between February to April, however, the economy did manage to grow by 0.7% over the three months
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