UK gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 2.3% in April 2021, the fastest monthly growth since July 2020, as government restrictions affecting economic activity continued to ease. The service sector grew by 3.4% in April 2021, with consumer-facing services re-opening in line with the easing of coronavirus restrictions and more pupils returning to onsite lessons. Output in the production sector fell by 1.3% in April 2021, the first fall since January 2021 as three of the four sectors contracted. Within production, mining and quarrying output contracted sharply, by 15.0%, in April 2021 because of ... (full story)