Britain’s economy shrank by 0.5 percent between April and June – slightly less than previously feared – though the revised official figures published Friday still show the country is stuck in recession.
The Office for National Statistics said the revision from a 0.7 percent drop was in part due to a milder-than-forecast drop in manufacturing and construction output.
Those two sectors nevertheless remain the weak points of the economy. The one-off jubilee holiday to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne may also have played a role in keeping the economy down, the office said.
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