UK GDP grows 0.2% in April

Up from 0.3% drop in March

UK GDP increased by 0.2% in April, the Office for National Statistics said, following the 0.3% contraction it witnessed in March.

The ONS said the services sector was the main contributor to the uptick in growth, having expanded 0.3%. Consumer-facing services saw an especially large boost, growing 1% in April compared to a fall of 0.8% in March. However, the UK's production sector shrank by 0.3% in April and construction output dropped by 0.6%. UK Q1 GDP growth of 0.1% 'not the mark of an economy in good health' Jeremy Batstone-Carr, European strategist at Raymond James Investment Services, noted that part of the recovery came from fewer strike days and industrial action, while manufacturing remained r...