whole, For July, analysts had predicted a meager 0.2% gain.
While industrial and construction output also decreased, the services sector saw a lift from a summer filled with sporting events, including the Olympics and the Euros.
The difficulty for the newly elected Labour government, which has prioritized economic growth, is another month without growth.
Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), stated that “longer term strength in the services sector meant there was growth over the last three months as a whole,” despite the fact that there was no growth in July.
Computer programmers and the health sector, which had recovered from strikes, were the main drivers of service development.
She also mentioned that it was a “particularly poor” month for auto and machinery companies.
The ONS tracks the gross domestic product, or GDP, on a monthly basis, although trends over a three-month period are given more weight.
Monthly totals are an approximation and are frequently updated once further data becomes available.
The UK entered a slight recession at the end of last year, with the GDP contracting for two consecutive three-month periods. However, 2024’s first half saw a return to growth.
