London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

UK economy avoids recession but not out of woods - Hunt

UK economy avoids recession but not out of woods - Hunt

The UK narrowly avoided falling into recession in 2022, new figures show, after the economy saw zero growth between October and December.

This is despite a sharp 0.5% fall in economic output during December, partly due to strike action, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the figures showed "underlying resilience" but said "we are not out of the woods".

The Bank of England still expects the UK to enter recession this year.

But it thinks it will be shorter and less severe than previously forecast.

The Bank of England is the UK's central bank. The BBC included its view as it has a central role in managing the overall state of the economy.

One of the ways it does that is by changing interest rates. Recently, it has been raising rates in a bid to tackle the soaring cost of living.

Mr Hunt, who the BBC spoke to for the government's position, said that high inflation remains a problem and continues to cause "pain for families up and down the country".

Inflation - or the rate at which prices are rising - is slowing but at 10.5% remains close to a 40-year high.

The ONS, which published the economic output figures, said there was no growth in the final three months of 2022.

This is the first estimate for the period and figures are often revised later on.

On Friday, the ONS revised up its figures for the July to September quarter, to show that the economy shrank by 0.2% instead of the previous estimate of a 0.3% fall.


A recession is typically defined as when the economy shrinks for two consecutive three-month periods. This usually means it is performing badly and companies may make less money and cut jobs, leaving the government with less tax revenue.

The figures for December, however, were worse than expected, and there will be no celebrations at the Treasury.

Darren Morgan from the ONS said there was a fall in health services with fewer operations and GP visits, while school attendance also dropped in the week before schools broke up for Christmas.

He explained that in terms of public services, the ONS measures things like teachers' wages, and how much investment is made in schools and the health services. "The services they provide are a really important part of the economy so we include it in our measurement," he said.

He also said that sporting activities, particularly football, were impacted because of the World Cup.

He said people were not "able to enjoy top-flight football due to the absence of Premier League football until Boxing Day, as the World Cup continued".

Mr Morgan added that rail and postal industries "had a poor month". "We certainly saw the impact of strikes as both fell heavily in December."

Strike action on trains caused disruption on the railways and on the roads in December. Postal workers also went on strike on a series of days in the run-up to Christmas.

The year-on-year comparison is not the same as adding up the quarterly growth figures.

It is a comparison of the full year with the full previous 12 months, which in 2021 included the lockdown at the beginning. When compared against that low base, the UK's economy was 4% bigger in 2022 than in 2021.

That was the biggest increase of all G7 nations for last year.

But the UK is also still the only G7 country where the economy is smaller than pre-pandemic levels.


Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who we've included to explain opposing parties' point of view, warned the latest figures make for grim reading.

Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chancellor, said they show the economy "is stuck in the slow lane".

She added: "We must bring in urgent measures to prevent yet more harm from the cost of living crisis, using a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants to stop the energy price cap going up in April so that people have more money in their pockets."

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney said: "Britain is dangling on over the edge of a recession after months of economic vandalism and chaos in government.

"The blame for these gloomy figures lies squarely with the government, who have botched budgets, failed to tackle inflation and have no plan for growth."


Jeremy Hunt: "We're not out of the woods yet"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×