The UK economy is expected to have picked up from a sharp slump at the beginning of the year after output in Britain's powerhouse services sector surged to a four-month high in April.

The eurozone’s accelerating economy is translating into faster job creation and stronger inflation pressures as a key gauge of activity yesterday rose to a near six-year high in March, and employment increased the most since July 2007, with hiring picking up in services and manufacturing. 

Irish consumer spending is expected to grow by as much as 5%, in volume terms, this year, despite Brexit effects and monthly retail sales remaining erratic.

Growth in Germany’s private sector picked up in February to reach its highest level in nearly three years, driven by humming factories, a survey showed, pointing to a strong first quarter in Europe’s biggest economy.

Sterling was little changed at 83.93 pence against the euro, but dropped to $1.3323 against the dollar as the Bank of England prepared to announce its interest-rate decision today.

Sterling fell as reports suggesting that the UK’s manufacturing and services industries contracted in July heightened speculation that the Bank of England will cut interest rates as soon as next month.

The Bank of England wrong-footed investors by keeping interest rates on hold, but held out the prospect of a stimulus package soon to help the economy cope with Britain’s decision to leave the EU.

Growth in the eurozone’s private sector unexpectedly slowed in May, while growth in Germany continued to accelerate.

UK companies are feeling the strain from the upcoming EU referendum, with a gauge of services falling to its lowest level in more than three years in April.

Britain’s economy appears to have slowed since the start of this year as worries about the global economy, government spending cuts, and a vote on staying in the EU take their toll, a closely watched survey showed yesterday.

Irish manufacturing continued to grow last month, but the pace of expansion was the slowest for two years — raising fears about the the outlook for expansion.

Confidence among UK services firms slid to a three-year low last month as the risk of Britain exiting the European Union weighed on executives’ minds.

Britain’s recovery is losing steam as worries about the world economy grow, consumers curb spending, and manufacturing sector weakness spreads, said the authors of a closely watched business survey yesterday.

Eurozone business growth slowed this month as Asian demand weakened, leading to fewer new jobs and forcing factories to reduce output, even though companies raised prices for the first time in over four years, a survey showed yesterday.

Eurozone business activity accelerated at its fastest pace in more than four years last month as Italy turned in its best performance since early 2011 and German growth strengthened, surveys showed yesterday.

Eurozone businesses started the second quarter with healthy growth as a buoyant order book again encouraged them to hire more, a survey showed.

Eurozone manufacturing growth eased in April but factories raised prices for the first time in eight months, according to a survey that also showed headcount rose at the fastest pace in nearly four years.

US economic growth braked more sharply than expected in the first quarter, as harsh weather dampened consumer spending and energy companies struggling with low prices slashed spending, but there are signs activity is picking up.

The US economy skidded to a near halt in the first three months of the year, battered by a triple whammy of harsh weather, plunging exports and sharp cutbacks in oil and gas drilling.

Britain’s economic growth probably slowed in early 2015, official data showed yesterday, potentially making it harder for prime minister David Cameron to persuade voters to trust his party to run the economy.

Eurozone businesses ramped up activity this month as the European Central Bank started printing money to spur economic growth, while a slowdown among Chinese factories fuelled expectations of more monetary stimulus.

Inflation in the UK fell to zero last month setting the country on course for a period of falling prices for the first time in half a century.

British manufacturing output unexpectedly fell in January as computer and electronics production plunged.

Price cutting and a weaker currency helped eurozone business activity accelerate in February, according to surveys published just before the European Central Bank embarks on a trillion-euro stimulus programme.

British business investment fell at its sharpest rate in nearly six years late last year, after tumbling global oil prices hit the North Sea petroleum industry, but stronger exports helped make economic growth a bit more balanced.

The eurozone private sector has expanded at the fastest pace in seven months this month led by rising new orders, surveys showed yesterday.

Eurozone companies stepped up hiring as manufacturing and services activity from Germany to Spain expanded faster than economists estimated.

A gauge of euro-area services and manufacturing signaled economic growth slowed in the final quarter of 2014, supporting calls for more stimulus by the European Central Bank.

The eurozone economy risks a renewed slowdown. A Purchasing Managers Index for factories and services activity unexpectedly fell to 51.4 in November, the lowest in 16 months, from 52.1 in October, London-based Markit Economics said. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

The eurozone economy may have moved one step away from another recession.

More signs that eurozone woes and the strong pound are hurting British firms have emerged after official figures showed a faster downturn in exports.

The eurozone recovery ground to a halt in the second quarter after German output shrank and France flatlined, official data showed today.

The UK’s trade gap unexpectedly widened in June to fuel concerns about the impact that the strong pound is having on the price of British goods abroad.

Manufacturing in the euro area slowed more than initially estimated in May amid weakness in France, adding to evidence of the region’s uneven recovery as the European Central Bank weighs more stimulus to shore up growth and inflation.

The recovery in eurozone manufacturing accelerated at the start of the second quarter, but factories cut goods prices for a second straight month, a business survey showed yesterday.

Euro-area services and manufacturing expanded faster than economists forecast in April, indicating the economy continued to strengthen at the start of the second quarter.

GLOBAL manufacturing ended 2013 on a strong note, as major exporters like the US, Japan, and Germany all saw demand pick up, although China’s performance remained modest, surveys showed yesterday.

Inflation fell to its lowest level in the UK for more than a year in October, plunging to 2.2%, official figures showed today.

Britain's dominant services sector grew at its fastest pace for 16 years in the third quarter of the year, fuelling hopes that the overall economy will have performed better than already-buoyant expectations.

Unemployment across the 17-country eurozone held steady in August, in another sign that the region’s economy is stabilising following its longest-ever recession.

Eurozone factory output expanded at a faster pace than initially estimated in August, driven by a resurgence in Italy and Spain, as the 17-nation currency bloc’s recovery began to build momentum.

The UK economy is recovering faster than thought after official figures showed surging exports helped drive growth 0.7% higher between April and June.

The continuing recession in the eurozone has been confirmed by the GDP figures for the first quarter of this year — making it the sixth quarter in a row in which the economy shrank.