UK economy rebounds with fastest growth since WW2

LONDON (BBC News): The UK economy rebounded last year with growth of 7.5% despite falling back in December due to Omicron restrictions, official figures show.
It was the fastest pace of growth since 1941, although it came after a dramatic 9.4% collapse in 2020 as the pandemic forced parts of the economy to shut.
In December, the economy shrank 0.2% as Omicron restrictions hit the hospitality and retail sectors.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the economy had been “remarkably resilient”.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed that in the last three months of 2021 growth was 1%, which ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan said was “pretty healthy” given Omicron’s spread and the introduction of some restrictions.
The figures were stronger than expected, and Mr Morgan told the BBC the expansion in 2021 showed the UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 group of nations. However, he urged caution about making strict comparisons.
“The growth in 2021 comes from a low base in 2020, when the economy fell sharply,” Mr Morgan said. “And if you look at where the UK economy is now, compared to its pre-pandemic level… the UK is middle of the pack, compared with the G7.”
He said using this comparison, the US, Canadian and French economies were above the UK’s, while the UK was above Italy, Germany and Japan.
The ONS said that despite the fall in December, on a monthly basis GDP was in line with its pre-coronavirus level in February 2020. However, GDP in the October-to-December quarter remains 0.4% below its pre-Covid levels in the final three months of 2019.
Mr Sunak told the BBC: “Today’s figures show that despite Omicron the economy was remarkably resilient. We were the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year and are forecast to continue being the fastest growing economy this year.
“But I know that people are worried about rising prices, particularly energy bills… and that’s why last week we announced a significant package of support to help millions of families meet the cost of bills.”
Last year’s growth was the strongest since ONS records began in 1948 and the fastest since 1941, during World War Two, using data collected by the Bank of England.
The slump of 9.4% in 2020 was the biggest drop since 1919 when there was demobilisation after World War One.