The UK economy contracted by 0.1% in May, following a 0.3% drop in April, as reported by the Office for National Statistics. This unexpected decline is a setback for the Labour government, which aimed to boost growth. Economists had anticipated a 0.1% growth. Factors like increased payroll taxes and US tariff threats have contributed to reduced hiring and spending. Production output fell by 0.9%, with construction down 0.6% and services growing only 0.1%. Lindsay James from Quilter noted that achieving growth is becoming increasingly difficult for the government. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)