The UK economy grew in November, but by less than expected, data from the Office for National Statistics showed on Thursday.

Gross domestic product edged up 0.1% in November, driven by growth in services, after a fall of 0.1% in October. This undershot the FXStreet-cited market consensus of 0.2% growth.

‘Human health and social work activities was the largest positive contributor to the rise in services output in this three-month period, increasing by 1.3% in the three months to November 2024, compared with the three months to August 2024,’ the ONS said.

The office highlighted that NHS junior doctors held industrial action in the three months to August 2024, from June 27 to July 2, with NHS England reporting that nearly 62,000 acute inpatient and outpatient appointments had been cancelled as a result.

A further contributor to growth in November was professional, scientific and technical activities, where output increased by 0.6%.

In the three months to the end of November, real GDP is estimated to have stayed unchanged compared with the three months to the end of August.

Separately, the ONS said the UK trade deficit in goods and services widened by £3.8 billion to £10.8 billion in the three months to the end of November.

Additionally, it said monthly construction output in the UK is estimated to have grown by 0.4% in volume terms in November, following a fall of 0.3% in October.

‘At the sector level, five out of the nine sectors grew in November 2024; the main contributors to the monthly increase were private commercial new work and non-housing repair and maintenance, which grew by 3.1% and 1.1%, respectively,’ the ONS said.

Meanwhile, monthly production output in the UK is estimated to have fallen by 0.4% in November, slowed from a decline of 0.6% in October.

The ONS noted that November’s monthly production output was at its lowest level since May 2020.

Finally, the ONS reported that services output in the UK is expected to have grown by 0.1% in November, following a decrease of 0.1% in October.

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