UK July services sector output down 0.3 pct vs June, up 3.1 pct yr-on-yr

UK services output dropped slightly in July, driven by falls in the transport and communication, distribution and government sectors, official figures showed. The Office for National Statistics said output in the services sector, which makes up 74 pct of overall GDP, fell by 0.3 pct in July from June. Decreases in output of transport, storage and communication, distribution, services and restaurants, and government and other services were only partially offset by a rise in government and other services, ONS said. On a year-on-year basis, services output rose by 3.1 pct in July. Over the three months to July, output rose by 0.9 pct from the previous three months, unchanged on the quarterly gain recorded in the second quarter which was included in yesterday's GDP figures. Compared with the same period a year earlier, output rose by 3.5 pct in the three months to July.