BUSINESS conditions improved significantly in the north during May, but severe rates of inflation continue to act as a potential headwind to the rapid economic recovery from the pandemic.

THE easing of lockdown restrictions in April helped the UK economy grow at its fastest rate since July 2020, according to new data.

THE north’s private sector returned to growth at the start of the second quarter of 2021, as the gradual reopening economy drove activity and job creation.

BUSINESSES in the north continued to report soaring costs during March, although the economy appeared to have largely stabilised.

DANSKE Bank has offered a more optimistic forecast for the north’s economy on the back of the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, predicting economic activity will return to pre-pandemic levels in the second half of 2022.

THE UK's rate of inflation unexpectedly eased last month amid falls in the prices of clothes, second-hand cars and toys, according to new official data.

THE Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold as it said the rapid rollout of the vaccination programme and road map for easing restrictions would help drive an economic rebound this year.

THE north’s crucial services sector recorded its second largest quarterly fall on record in the final three months of 2020, new official data shows.

THE Governor of the Bank of England has said that the long-term hit to the economy from the Covid-19 crisis could be smaller than in past recessions.

THE UK's economy shrunk at its fastest rate since the 1920s last year, as the pandemic forced thousands of businesses to remain closed for several months.

THE north’s retail and services sector suffered significant contractions last month on the back of the latest Covid-19 restrictions, new analysis from Ulster Bank has shown.

UK inflation bounced higher last month as the price of food and clothing jumped, according to official figures.

THE four-week closure of hospitality premises in the north will cost hotels £7 million, according to an industry body.

INFLATION was pushed higher last month as the end of the UK Government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme saw restaurant and cafe prices bounce back, according to official figures.

THE UK's national debt hit a record £2.06 trillion at the end of September, up £259.6 billion in six months, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

?Northern Ireland's business community is being "killed off" by the lack of leadership during the pandemic, the UUP leader has said.

THE Northern Ireland economy continued to improve during August, but the pace of business activity has lost momentum, new analysis suggests

The UK economy grew by 6.6 per cent in July as the rate of the country's financial recovery slowed down, according to official data

THE UK will be officially declared in recession for the first time since the financial crisis on Wednesday when figures are set to show the pandemic sent the economy plunging by a record 21% between April and June.

The Bank of England has said it expects the downturn in the UK economy to be less severe than first feared, but could take longer to recover than previously predicted