Growth returned in the UK economy in January, according to official figures.
The measure of everything produced in the UK – a metric called gross domestic product (GDP) – rose 0.2%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
It’s the first official economic growth announcement since a recession was declared last month as there were two successive three-month periods of negative economic growth.
When looked at over a three month period, GDP fell 0.1% up to January, compared to the three months to October, showing the economy is still struggling.
But the overall growth in January could mean the recession is the shortest ever in UK history, if the trend continued into February and March.
The main reason the economy grew was down to the customer-facing services industry, the ONS said, which expanded 0.2% in January and makes up a large chunk of the economy. Services are the largest part of the UK economy, comprising four fifths of output.
It was also a good month for construction with output having increased 1.1% over the month. Housebuilders had a good month after being subdued for much of the last year, the ONS said.
Acting against the growth was falling TV and film production and the “often erratic pharmaceutical industry”, it added as production yields also dropped.
When broadened out over a three month period, however, building output fell 0.9% and no growth was recorded in the services sector.
Figures are routinely revised as more information becomes available. It’s possible the recession could be revised out of existence when the ONS announces February GDP sums and reassesses economic performance.
Strong retail sales had been reported for the first month of the year, of significance as they measure the largest expenditure across the UK economy.