All is not well with the U.K. economy following news from the country’s government that gross domestic product (GDP) figures for the final quarter of 2012 showed contraction.
The U.K. Office of National Statistics (ONS), which collects and publishes economic numbers every three months, announced that GDP fell by 0.3 percent at the end of 2012. Industrial output also slipped, tumbling 1.8 percent during the same period. Annual developments were muted, according to the government agency, as it appears that growth between 2011 and 2012 remained mostly “flat,” the ONS stated in a press release.
“The official forecast was that the U.K. economy would contract in the last quarter of 2012 so this figure is not unexpected. It confirms what we already knew – that Britain, like many European countries, still faces a very difficult economic situation,” a spokesman from the U.K. Treasury told The Telegraph, a British news source.
The data caps a tough economic year for the United Kingdom. GDP was down in the first three quarters, signifying the second dip of a recession that began following the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. The 2011-2012 recession did not follow the same pattern as the 2008-2009 event, although the third quarter of 2012’s 0.8 percent growth appears to be only transitory.
This spring, when the numbers for the first quarter of 2013 are released, members of the investing public will have a better picture of where the U.K. economy is heading for the remainder of the year. However, if you are someone who has exposure in British assets and is concerned about potential losses, finding alternative money-making methods like cash flow real estate might be wise. To learn more about this and other solutions, visit GreatWealthStrategies.com today.