UK Economics Chart Pack Double-dip deepens The third consecutive quarterly contraction in Q2 left the UK economy lagging even further behind its main competitors. 1st August 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Jubilee boost short-lived Although consumer spending appears to have boosted at the start of June by the extended bank holiday, the fillip did not last for long and the underlying trend in spending still looks pretty mediocre... 19th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Inflation outlook improves The near-term inflation outlook has improved significantly in recent weeks. Inflation has fallen below 3% for the first time since the end of 2009. It will come under further downward pressure from... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Spending remains volatile The changeable weather, petrol panic-buying and the Jubilee celebrations have all made consumer spending quite volatile recently. However, the underlying picture remains one of a lacklustre recovery. 22nd June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack UK remains a safe haven from euro-zone turmoil The threat to the UK from the euro-zone has continued to intensify, with concerns building about the Spanish banking system in recent days. But the UK has so far retained its safe-haven status, with... 6th June 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Spending recovery runs out of steam After a seemingly strong spell around the turn of the year, the recovery in consumer spending is flagging again. Total real spending grew by just 0.1% in the first quarter, as a rise in retail sales... 24th May 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Back into recession in Q1 The UK returned to recession in Q1, making this the weakest peacetime recovery in a century. Reasonably positive activity surveys for the first quarter raise some doubts about the ONS’s Q1 estimate... 3rd May 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Consumer spending remains resilient All measures of spending improved in March, albeit partly due to temporary factors. 20th April 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack A robust finish to Q1 The UK economy appears to have avoided a slide back into recession, if the activity surveys for the first quarter are to be believed. Indeed, the economic recovery appears to have gathered a bit of... 4th April 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Consumer recovery underway, but looking fragile The consumer recovery appears to have picked up pace around the turn of the year, although the softening in the latest measures of high street spending suggest that the recovery is still on fragile... 22nd March 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Rise in oil prices presents new threat to recovery The rise in energy prices adds to the reasons to be cautious about assuming that the recent pick-up in the economic recovery will continue. 1st March 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Falling inflation offers some relief There have been some signs of a pick-up in consumer spending. But some measures are more upbeat than others. And more generally, consumers are still facing a set of tough conditions. 17th February 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Inflation squeeze starts to ease December’s chunky fall in CPI inflation from 4.8% to 4.2% is likely to be followed by further falls that take inflation to 1% or below by the end of the year. 1st February 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack A stronger end to the year Consumers finally spent more on the high street before Christmas, perhaps tempted by the bigger price discounts that retailers were offering. 20th January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Economic gloom lifts a bit The economic recovery appears to have regained some momentum at the very end of last year, with the business surveys improving in December. But the outlook for this year still looks bleak. 5th January 2012 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack A soft start to the festive period The high street had been weathering the economic slowdown well, but the last few weeks have seen retail spending start to soften. 15th December 2011 · 1 min read