BRITAIN has come out of recession as the economy returned to growth in the first quarter of the year, official figures showed today.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have risen by 0.6 per cent between January and March.

It follows two quarters of decline — a technical recession — in the back half of 2023.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said that although the economy has stopped shrinking, “one quarter of decent growth won’t make up for 14 years of lost living standards.”

“The Tories are still presiding over the worst period for economic stagnation and livelihoods in modern history,” he added.

“Real wages are worth less than in 2008 and working people will end this parliament worse off than at the start.

“Workers would be over £10,000 richer if pay had kept pace with its pre-crisis trend.

“The Conservatives have succeeded only in making families poorer.”

ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said service industries, health and car manufacturers performed well but were a “little offset by another weak quarter for construction.”

Public Policy Research’s Centre for Economic Justice chief Dr George Dibb said it was “too early to say that the British economy has turned a corner.

“GDP growth has recovered but there are still flashing warning lights on the dashboard of the British economy.

“The data show salaries growing but real wages are coming up on a two-decade squeeze, while higher prices for housing and on the weekly shop remain a concern for many households — and we still had the second-lowest growth in the G7 in 2023.”

Confederation of British Industry lead economist Ben Jones said the data suggests Britain is “now on the road to recovery.”