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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| UK officially in recession for first time in 11 years | UK officially in recession for first time in 11 years |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The UK economy suffered its biggest slump on record between April and June as coronavirus lockdown measures pushed the country officially into recession. | The UK economy suffered its biggest slump on record between April and June as coronavirus lockdown measures pushed the country officially into recession. |
| The economy shrank 20.4% compared with the first three months of the year. | The economy shrank 20.4% compared with the first three months of the year. |
| Household spending plunged as shops were ordered to close, while factory and construction output also fell. | Household spending plunged as shops were ordered to close, while factory and construction output also fell. |
| This pushed the UK into its first technical recession - defined as two straight quarters of economic decline - since 2009. | This pushed the UK into its first technical recession - defined as two straight quarters of economic decline - since 2009. |
| The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy bounced back in June as government restrictions on movement started to ease. | The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy bounced back in June as government restrictions on movement started to ease. |
| Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics, said: "Despite this, gross domestic product (GDP) in June still remains a sixth below its level in February, before the virus struck." | Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics, said: "Despite this, gross domestic product (GDP) in June still remains a sixth below its level in February, before the virus struck." |
| The ONS said the collapse in output was driven by the closure of shops, hotels, restaurants, schools and car repair shops. | The ONS said the collapse in output was driven by the closure of shops, hotels, restaurants, schools and car repair shops. |
| The services sector, which powers four-fifths of the economy, suffered the biggest quarterly decline on record. | The services sector, which powers four-fifths of the economy, suffered the biggest quarterly decline on record. |
| Factory shutdowns also resulted in the slowest car production since 1954. | |
| The economic decline was concentrated in April, at the height of lockdown. | |
| On a month-on-month basis, the economy grew by 8.7% in June, building on growth in May. | |
| Clothes stores, bookshops and other non-essential retailers opened their doors in England on 15 June, while construction work jumped after large declines in the previous two months. | |
| Despite this, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the economic slump would lead to more job losses in the coming months. | |
| He said: "Hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their jobs, and sadly in the coming months many more will. | He said: "Hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their jobs, and sadly in the coming months many more will. |
| "But while there are difficult choices to be made ahead, we will get through this, and I can assure people that nobody will be left without hope or opportunity." | "But while there are difficult choices to be made ahead, we will get through this, and I can assure people that nobody will be left without hope or opportunity." |
| UK slump among biggest | |
| The UK's slump is also one of the biggest among advanced economies, according to preliminary estimates. | |
| The economy is more than a fifth smaller than it was at the end of last year. This fall is not as bad as the 22.7% decline in Spain but around twice the size of declines in Germany and the US. | |
| The Bank of England has noted that social spending such as eating out, going to a concert or watching a football match, is a bigger driver of growth in the UK than America or the eurozone. | |
| The first official GDP numbers for this period show over a fifth of the value of the economy lost since the beginning of the year, mainly driven by the severe shutdown in April. | |
| The sheer extent and speed of the contraction, though not surprising, reflects an economic hit that has affected every high street and town and city in the country. | |
| The economy is now growing again, but not all the lights that were dimmed in order to protect public health in the spring, will be turned back on. |