UK construction output rose 2.5% in April

Biggest monthly increase since January 2014 could be linked to early Easter holidays this year

Britain's construction output bounced back in April and along with strong industrial production data painted a brighter picture of the economy than expected.

The Office for National Statistics said construction output rose 2.5% in April from the previous month. This was the biggest monthly increase since January 2014 and surprised economists, who had expected 1.7% growth. However, the rise was not big enough to make up for March's 3.6% decline.

A 2.3% rise in manufacturing, surging export volumes and a 2.5% construction rebound. Strong April data may push our Q2 UK GDP forecast up.