Economy grew by 6.6 per cent in July as lockdown measures eased

11 September 2020, 07:19 | Updated: 11 September 2020, 10:11

New figures show the UK economy grew by 6.6% in July as lockdown measures continued to ease, the Office for National Statistics has said.

But economic output is still 11.7 per cent smaller than it was in February before the pandemic.

ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan said: "While it has continued steadily on the path towards recovery, the UK economy still has to make up nearly half of the GDP lost since the start of the pandemic.

"Education grew strongly as some children returned to school, while pubs, campsites and hairdressers all saw notable improvements.

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"Car sales exceeded pre-crisis levels for the first time with showrooms having a particularly busy time.

"All areas of manufacturing, particularly distillers and car makers, saw improvements, while housebuilding also continued to recover.

"However, both production and construction remain well below previous levels."

This story is being updated