Out of recession? are we? I don't think so.

[0iD]

The UK economy leaves recession, after figures show the economy grew by 0.1% in the last three months of 2009.

Now forgive me but 0.1% over the 3 months leading up to Christmas, the time when consumer activity is peaking, hardly constitutes the "Finally out of recession" fanfare it's getting imo.

http://channel.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=22091

[nvening]

Well technically we were out for that period by definition, but it doesn't mean we wont go back into recession. If we will or not I cannot say (or I would be a very rich man).

[GheeTsar]

Seems highly suspicious to me. 0.1%? I suspect there has been some "massaging" of the figures.

[TheAnimus]

whats the betting we will be back by may the 6th?

[tiggerai]

0.1% - wow... that's really going to change things.

[dangel]

0.1% - wow... that's really going to change things.

Would -0.1% felt better or worse?

Since recession is clearly defined why argue with it - if the economy has grown for a quarter we're out and as someone else said above, we can go back into recession too. Don't panic half-empty crowd - things can get worse again!

[scaryjim]

See my comments on the hexus article - the commentary and the graph don't entirely match up.

Frankly, any kind of GDP growth is good news, and let's not forget that 0.1% of the GDP is still a stonkingly huge amount of money - I certainly wouldn't mind having it in my back pocket

[Pob255]

Yep recession is a sustained period of negative growth, it has no relation to the base line of the economy.
It is correct, sorry it bugs me when people complain about something when they think the word means something it does not.

The economy has stopped shrinking, it might start shrinking again, however we're likely at the bottom of the trough and how long we will remain here before things start rising at a faster rate is anyones guess.

[Saracen]

Yep recession is a sustained period of negative growth, it has no relation to the base line of the economy.
It is correct, sorry it bugs me when people complain about something when they think the word means something it does not.

The economy has stopped shrinking, it might start shrinking again, however we're likely at the bottom of the trough and how long we will remain here before things start rising at a faster rate is anyones guess.

It's not even clear we're at the bottom of the trough, though. Maybe we are, maybe we aren't.

I agree about it having little or no relation to the baseline, though, and whether we are in a technical recession or not is pretty immaterial. How about if we alternate from 0.1% positive to 0.1% negative growth, every quarter, for the next decade. We won't be in "recession", but we will be stagnant .... and in the poop.

[scaryjim]

... it bugs me when people complain about something when they think the word means something it does not. ...

I bet that doesn't bug you as much as this bugs me:

... 0.1% negative growth ...

Not to pick on your personally Saracen, and I know it's the accepted phrase, but you just can't have negative growth!!! If it's not getting bigger, it's not growing. Gaah! Bloody economists...

[MadduckUK]

polarised inverse negative growth?

[0iD]

negative growth .... and in the poop.

I get that when swimming in the cold North Sea

[Saracen]

...

Not to pick on your personally Saracen, and I know it's the accepted phrase, but you just can't have negative growth!!! If it's not getting bigger, it's not growing. Gaah! Bloody economists...

Yeah, I know. It's a phrase that irritates me too ... but for all that, it is fairly descriptive, and I use it because it's commonplace.

[merdat]

Well the 'city' did not think much of the 'good news' anyway. What do they say 'double-dip' !!?.

[G4Z]

Very convenient to come out of recession mere months before an election...

[TooNice]

Would this increase the odds that the general election will be held before June? Better than a negative growth (), but doesn't seem like something to parade about either.