The UK economy shrank during the first three months of 2021 as lockdown measures hindered the country’s recovery.
UK GDP contracted 1.5% during the quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics, after a third national lockdown forced businesses across the country to close their doors again.
However, GDP is estimated to have increased 2.1% during March – the fastest monthly growth since last August – as schools in some parts of the UK reopened.
The service sector, which includes retail, grew 1.9% during March, the ONS said, suggesting that retail sales continued to “show strength”.
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