Britain's gross domestic product (GDP) edged up 0.1% in November, following a 0.5% rise the previous month.
But looking at the three months to the end of November together, the economy contracted by 0.3% compared to the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement on Friday.
The economy benefited in November from the good health of the "telecommunications and computer programming" sector, but also "of pubs and bars" while "people went out to watch the World Cup matches", summed up Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, on Twitter.
On the other hand, certain parts of the manufacturing industry, in particular the pharmaceutical industry, contracted over the period, as did transport and the post office, "partly due to the impact of strikes" affecting these sectors, a noted Mr. Morgan.
Britain's economy had hit a particularly deep dip in September, due in part to a national day off for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which contributed to the three-month drop in GDP, the ONS said. .
Economists expected a slight contraction in GDP in November, while several forecasts, including the Bank of England, ensured that the country was already in recession.
According to one of the classic definitions, it takes two consecutive quarters of decline in GDP to speak of a recession, and British GDP fell by 0.3% in the third quarter.
Concerned companies
The slight increase in November may be too small to change the situation for the fourth quarter: "a rise of 0.1% on a monthly basis strongly resembles stagnation rather than real growth", estimates Sophie Lund-Yates , Hargreaves Lansdown analyst.
"The idea that the UK will soon officially enter a recession is still very likely", and after spending in the run-up to Christmas, "there is a real risk now that consumers are tightening their belts", warns -she.
British businesses are also worried because "the economy held up better than expected in November, the data (published by the ONS on Friday) cannot hide the underlying problems", underlines the main British employers' organization, CBI. .
High inflation is "severely affecting household budgets" and putting "intense cost pressures" on businesses, which is affecting "consumer spending and investment plans", which are falling, according to the organization.
"The question for the government now is not whether we will fall into a recession, but how long and how severe it will be," the CBI said.
The country must "stick to the plan to halve inflation this year so that the economy resumes its growth", assured for his part the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) British, Jeremy Hunt , in a press release.
The government is notably capping energy bills this winter, while increases in electricity and gas prices are helping to boost inflation which is close to 11% in the country, fueling a severe crisis in the cost of living.
But according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), "to return to long-term growth, businesses will need to see the removal of trade barriers, particularly with the EU, investment in public infrastructure and measures to improve their access to suitably qualified personnel".
© 2023 AFP