Economic Review August 2026
August’s Economic Review – UK economy expands unexpectedly, UK jobs market “stagnant,” retail sales wilt and higher energy costs.
Key takeaways
- Recent data shows the UK second-quarter growth was more resilient than anticipated – 0.4% growth
- The latest Labour Market Overview published by ONS in August painted a muted picture of the UK jobs market
- According to ONS, consumer spending slowed as the volume of goods sold fell by 0.5% over the month

