Growth in UK economy is confirmed


The economy grew by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2015 compared with the second quarter, the latest official estimate shows.


The second estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) is unchanged, as is the 2.3% increase on the same quarter.


However, there were changes within the sectors of the economy, the Office for National Statistics said. The output of production industries (manufacturing, mining and utilities) was revised downwards by 0.1 percentage point from 0.3% to a 0.2% in the third quarter, compared with the second quarter 2015.


The fall in manufacturing output was worse than first thought, with a 0.4% contraction against the first estimate of a 0.3% contraction. On the same quarter a year ago, manufacturing output fell by 0.9%, not the 0.7% fall initially recorded.


Output of the service sector, which accounts for over three-quarters of the economy, increased by 0.7% (unchanged on previous estimate), and growth on the same quarter a year was unchanged at 2.7%.


www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_425674.pdf