Overview
- Official ONS data show GDP up 0.3% in November and 0.1% over the three months to November, improving on the prior flat reading.
- Services drove the monthly gain, manufacturing largely recovered as Jaguar Land Rover resumed output, and construction saw its steepest three‑month drop in nearly three years.
- Business confidence fell to a three‑year low following the Autumn Budget, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
- Barclays reported a 1.7% year‑on‑year decline in December card spending, pointing to softer household demand.
- UK companies announced more than 33,000 job cuts in the four weeks to mid‑December, with economists expecting a possible early‑2026 rebound but cautioning that labour‑market weaknesses remain a risk.