Gross domestic product (GDP) figures, measuring the value of everything produced in the economy in the three months from July to September, will have been boosted by the Olympic Games.

 

Ticket sales for the Olympics and Paralympics will be included.

 

The Office for National Statistics' (ONS) first estimate is expected to show growth of about 0.7%.

 

It will also be flattered by comparison with the previous three months, because the second quarter had an extra public holiday as part of the Diamond Jubilee¹（钻石大庆） celebrations in in June.

 

The ONS said that the extra day off had knocked 0.5% off economic growth in the second quarter.

 

It also said ticket sales would add about 0.2% to GDP.

 

So excluding the Olympic and Jubilee effects, growth seems to have been broadly flat, as it has for some time, showing either small amounts of growth or small contractions².

 

"Putting aside the quarterly swings over the past two years, the economy has been and remains³ 'flat on its back' with stagnant⁴ growth," said Rob Donaldson from the accountants Baker⁵ Tilly. 

 

In a speech on Tuesday, Bank of England governor Mervyn King warned he expected that to carry on.

 

"The zig-zag pattern of quarterly growth rates of GDP that we have seen this year is likely to continue," he said.

 

He also pointed⁶ out that despite the expected end of the double-dip recession, GDP was still "barely higher than two years ago", which means it is still well below pre-recession levels.

点击收听单词发音