UK economy grew slightly in February

The UK economy grew slightly in February, offering hope it is on its way out of recession.

The economy grew by 0.1%, official figures show, boosted by production and manufacturing, in areas such as the car industry.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that construction was dampened by wet weather though.

This is an early estimate, but signals how the UK, which entered recession at the end of 2023, is faring.

The new figures on Friday were in line with what economists were expecting.

Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said that the services sector, which includes things like hairdressing and hospitality, also grew a little with public transport and haulage in particular having a strong month.

She added that looking across the three months to February as a whole, the economy grew for the first time since last summer.