Britain’s economy expanded by just 0.1% in August, slowing from 0.4% growth in July, according to figures released October 15 by the Office for National Statistics. Production increased 0.8% during August, while services recorded no growth and construction declined 0.2%. The broader three-month picture was stronger, with GDP growing 0.7% in the three months through August and services output increasing 0.9%. Those figures show an economy that is expanding but not consistently across industries or time periods. The August slowdown also illustrates why a positive headline GDP figure does not necessarily indicate that businesses throughout the economy are experiencing similar conditions. For workers and consumers, the next question is whether continued growth translates into stronger employment, real earnings and household purchasing power. Britain’s economic performance will depend not only on whether output keeps increasing but also on how broadly the benefits of that expansion are distributed.