The ONS reported that UK GDP grew by +0.3% in November, with growth of +0.1% in the latest 3 months. While the month-on-month figure for October figure was unrevised at -0.1%, September was revised up to growth of +0.1% from a fall of -0.1%. Recovery in output of the automotive industry as JLR returned to full production was a key driver of the growth in November.
Focusing on the rolling 3-month trends in the output measure by sector, services grew by +0.2% compared to the previous 3-month period (June to August 2025), but the construction sector contracted by -1.1%. The details for the manufacturing industries are covered in a separate article but the other elements of the production sector saw mixed fortunes; output of “mining & quarrying” declined by -1.0% but both “electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply” (+1.1%) and “water supply; sewerage, waste management & remediation activities” (+0.4%) increased in the latest 3-month period (September to November 2025).
Looking at the service sector in more detail, total output grew by +0.2% in the latest 3-month period, with 8 of the 14 sub-sectors reporting an increase. The largest positive contributions came from “real estate activities” (+0.4%), “administrative & support service activities” (+0.8%) and “wholesale & retail trade; repair of motor vehicles & motorcycles” (+0.4%) – the latter is likely to be connected to the recovery at JLR following the cyber-hacking event. The largest declines in the service sector were in “professional, scientific & technical activities (-0.8%), “other service activities” (-1.6%) and “transportation and storage” (-0.3%).
Consumer-facing services output rose by +0.5% in the 3 months to November 2025, with the largest positive contributions coming from “travel agency, tour operator & other reservation service & related activities” (+5.6%), “retail trade, except of motor vehicles & motorcycles” (+0.6%) and “sports activities & amusement and recreation activities” (+3.9%). The largest declines were in “other personal service activities” (-2.9%) and “accommodation” (-1.3%).
Within construction, the decline in output was similar in the two main groups in this sector, with new work falling by -1.0% and repair & maintenance activity down by -1.1%.
There are more details in the range of ONS Statistical Bulletins which can be downloaded from their website at https://www.ons.gov.uk/releasecalendar (15th January) or on request from MTA.