Gross domestic product declined by 0.1% for the month, after increasing by 0.2% in April, theSections of the economy like construction and finance lost a working day in the month due to the celebrations.
Analysts at Deutsche Bank thought the economy would contract slightly more at 0.3%, while Investec Economics predicted a 0.5% slump.But the accommodation and food services sector part of the economy fell in May by 0.9% after a 2.1% bounce in April. The rainy weather during the early May bank holiday weekend led more people to stay at home, but some hotels, pubs and restaurants confirmed a boost.
Job vacancies continued to fall in May and there was a 3.5% drop in employment activities, with signs there was less demand for recruitment services.There was no growth for the services sector as a whole but falls for hospitality, employment and retail were offset by growth for the health and social work sector, and the arts and entertainment industry.
Darren Morgan from the ONS said: ‘GDP fell slightly as manufacturing, energy generation and construction all fell back, with some industries impacted by one fewer working day than normal.