The economy edged ahead in the first quarter of this year, official figures show today, fuelled by strong performance from the construction industry.
The Office for National Statistics said GDP rose 0.1% in the first three months of the year after revising previous estimates that there would be no growth.
The main driver came from the construction industry. Output rose 3% in the three-month period, revised up from May’s 1% estimate, and the highest increase since the first quarter of 1990.
There was also a small increase in agricultural output, the first for six quarters.
This helped offset a 1.1% slide in manufacturing output the fifth successive decline.
GDP for the previous quarter was also revised upwards, from zero to 0.1%.
In the year to the first quarter 2002, GDP increased 1.1%.
EGi News 28/06/02
