UK economy showed resilience ahead of big lockdown easing

LONDON (AP) — The British economy contracted by a quarterly rate of 1.5% in the first three months of 2021, a relatively modest contraction given that the country was in the midst of a strict lockdown to combat a second wave of the coronavirus.

The Office for National Statistics also said Wednesday that the economy even managed to grow by a monthly rate of 2.1% in March when the country began easing some restrictions, notably by reopening schools.

The overall first quarter figures provide further evidence that businesses and consumers have adapted to the constraints of lockdown by increasing their online activities. In the second quarter of 2020, when the first lockdown was in place, the British economy contracted by a fifth.

The agency said the strong recovery seen in March was led by the retail sector and the return of schools. The construction and manufacturing sectors also did well as businesses continued to adapt to the pandemic.

Treasury chief Rishi Sunak said the March performance is “a promising sign of things to come.”

Despite the March bounceback, the British economy remains 8.7% smaller than it was on the eve of the pandemic. That compares unfavorably with other Group of Seven industrial nations, such as the U.S., which is only 0.9% smaller. France, Germany and Italy, too, have also clawed back more ground.

Hopes are high though that the British economy can recoup more of its pandemic losses over the coming months as restrictions are eased in the wake of sharply lower coronavirus infections and a successful vaccine rollout program. The Bank of England even thinks that the British economy will have recouped all its COVID-related losses by the end of this year.

Since the reopening of schools in early March, the lockdown has been eased further with pubs and...