UK economy barely grows as nation faces new restrictions

LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom’s economy barely grew in October as construction activity slowed due to shortages of building materials and rising prices caused by shipping bottlenecks around the world. The Office for National Statistics said Friday that gross domestic product increased by 0.1% from the previous month, below the forecast of 0.4% from a survey of economists. The agency says the U.K. economy remains 0.5% smaller than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction output fell 1.8% in October, the biggest drop since April 2020. Growth remained positive primarily because of an increase in demand for face-to-face medical appointments as COVID-19 restrictions eased and the government pressured doctors to see more patients in person.