UK economy contracted by -0.1% mom in September, falling short of market expectations for 0.2% mom growth. The contraction was driven largely by declines in manufacturing output and information and communication services, with monthly services output showing no growth. Meanwhile, production sector experienced a notable -0.5% drop, primarily due to a sharp decline in manufacturing. Construction output offered a slight silver lining, rising by 0.1%.
For Q3, GDP grew by a marginal 0.1% qoq, marking a steep slowdown from Q2’s 0.5% qoq growth and missing forecasts of 0.2% qoq. The services sector, which accounts for the largest share of economic activity, expanded by just 0.1%, while construction demonstrated resilience with a 0.8% increase. However, the production sector contracted by -0.2%, reflecting persistent weaknesses in the industrial base.