UK economic recovery stalled in July amid worker shortages

GDP grew by only 0.1% despite removal of most Covid controls, with supply chain crisis making impact

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Britain's economic recovery from the winter lockdown almost stalled in July despite the removal of most pandemic restrictions, amid a fall in retail sales and the impact of pingdemic" shortages in the workforce.

The Office for National Statistics said gross domestic product (GDP) grew by just 0.1% in July from a month earlier, as the government's end to most restrictions in England failed to offset the fallout from the coronavirus Delta variant. GDP was lower than the 0.6% growth forecast by City economists, and a sharp slowdown compared with June when the economy grew by 1%.