UK Economics Chart Pack Renewed credit crunch looms We have revised down our forecasts for GDP growth and now expect a contraction in 2012 as a whole of 0.5% (our previous forecast was zero growth) and growth of just 0.5% in 2013 (down from 1.5%). The... 2nd December 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Labour market downturn worsens The consumer sector remains in a poor state. We continue to expect real household spending to fall by about 3% over the next two years. 17th November 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack On course to contract in Q4 An across-the-board deterioration in the economic data over the last month has left the UK economy on course to contract in the fourth quarter. While the first estimate of GDP revealed that output... 3rd November 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Squeeze on real pay intensifies September’s rise in retail sales volumes was a rare bright spot in an otherwise terrible set of consumer data released over the last month. Consumer confidence has remained at a very low level... 21st October 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Economy stagnating at best The last month has brought further confirmation that the recovery has ground to a complete halt. Quarterly GDP growth was revised down from 0.2% to 0.1% in Q2. Even that growth was dependent on rises... 6th October 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Falling employment intensifies consumers’ misery The near-term outlook for consumer spending looks exceptionally weak. Surveys suggest that job cuts in the private sector will gather pace in the coming months. Consumer confidence fell in August from... 16th September 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Double-dip risks grow The economic data have weakened markedly and across the board over the last month. A weighted average of the CIPS surveys is now consistent with GDP falling on a quarterly basis again. Low consumer... 7th September 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Consumer spending outlook darkens The outlook for consumer spending is perhaps the gloomiest it has been since the darkest days of the recession. Consumer confidence dropped to near rock-bottom levels in July. It probably even fell... 19th August 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Recovery still struggling After the disappointing second quarter, there are few signs that the recovery has since got back on track. 4th August 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Falling real pay taking its toll The continued squeeze on real pay suggests that consumer spending will keep falling for some time. Last week we revised down our forecast for GDP growth this year from 1.5% to 1% and now expect... 22nd July 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Consumers bowing under the pressure A raft of negative news from the high street suggests that falling real incomes are taking their toll on the consumer sector. 6th July 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Consumer sector back in recession Consumer spending has fallen for two quarters in a row, meaning that the household sector is now technically back in recession. Although high street spending picked up in April, that appears to have... 17th June 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Net trade boost unlikely to last The long-awaited re-balancing of the economy seems to be underway, with net trade making a huge positive contribution to quarterly GDP growth in Q1. However, the 1.3% contraction in domestic demand... 2nd June 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Temporarily better Consumer spending received a boost in April from the favourable combination of the good weather, the later fall of Easter and the Royal Wedding. However, this support is only temporary and we suspect... 19th May 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Recovery grinds to a halt The news that GDP rose by only 0.5% in Q1 means that underlying activity has been broadly flat over the past six months. With the full effect of the fiscal tightening yet to be felt, we expect the... 5th May 2011 · 1 min read
UK Economics Chart Pack Easter muddles the picture Just as the snow-related distortions have faded, Easter timing effects have come along to muddle the picture instead. But as far as we can tell, the underlying trend in consumer spending is flat at... 21st April 2011 · 1 min read