Gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.5% in December, following a growth figure of 0.1% in November 2022, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The drop was mostly explained by public sector strikes, particularly across transport and postal services. There was also a fall in activity in the health sector, with fewer operations and GP appointments, and delays to Premier League games due to the World Cup.

December’s fall in output follows 0.5% growth in October and 0.1% growth in November 2022.

Accounting industry turnover was £3.3bn in December, a decrease of 13% from November 2022, according to Office of National Statistics data released this morning.

 For context the total services sector (including legal) had a turnover of £223bn in December, down 7.5% from November 2022.