ECONOMIC INDICATORS UK - Q1&2 2010

• Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 3.0% in the first quarter of 2010, following an increase of 5.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009.

• CPI annual inflation was 3.7% in April 2010, up from 3.4% in March.

• Year on year, overall production output in March 2010 was 2.0% higher than in March 2009.

• Total manufacturing output increased by 3.3% in March 2010 compared to the same month a year ago.

• Year on year, output of the Service sector for March 2010 rose 0.8% compared with March 2009.

• In the first quarter of 2010 annual inflation for the aggregate of selected services producer price indices (SPPI) rose 0.8%, compared with a fall of 0.5% in the previous quarter.

• The employment rate for the three months to March 2010 was 72.0%. The number of people in employment fell by 76,000 on the quarter to reach 28.83 million. The unemployment rate for the three months to March 2010 was 8.0%, up 0.2% on the quarter. The number of unemployed people increased by 53,000 over the quarter to reach

2.51 million.

• Average earnings growth including bonuses increased in the year to March 2010, from the February rate of 2.5% to 4.0% in March 2010. Growth in average earnings excluding bonuses (regular pay) also increased from the February 2010 rate of 1.7% to 1.9% in March 2010.

• Year on year, the volume of retail sales in April was 1.8% higher than in April 2009.

• The public sector showed a deficit on current budget of £9.3 billion in April 2010, compared with a deficit of £7.6 billion in April 2009.

• Business investment for the first quarter of 2010 is estimated to be 6.0% higher than the previous quarter. In spite of the quarterly rise, Business investment is 11.0% lower than the same period last year.

• In February 2010 to April 2010, the number of visits by overseas residents to the UK decreased by 5% to 7.1 million, when compared with the previous three months. Associated spending by overseas residents on visits to the UK decreased by 5% to £3.8 billion.

• During the 12 months to April 2010, the number of visits by overseas residents to the UK decreased by 5% when compared with the 12 months to April 2009, from 30.8 million to 29.4 million – a drop of 1.4 million. In the 12-month period to April 2010, the number of visits abroad by UK residents decreased by 13% when compared with the 12 months to April 2009, from 65.3 to 56.5 million – a drop of 8.8 million.

• The UK’s deficit on trade in goods and services was £3.3 billion in April, compared with a deficit of £3.2 billion in March (originally published as a deficit of £3.7 billion).