Dutch economy grew

The Dutch economy grew 0.5% in the final quarter of 2014, compared with the previous quarter, the national statistics office CBS said in preliminary figures published on Friday. Year on year, economic growth was 1%, the CBS said.

The figures show the economic recovery is continuing at a cautious pace, the CBS said. The last quarter of 2014 was the third successive quarter of growth. Exports were again the main motor but the economy grew across the board. Consumers spent more, particularly on furniture and electronic apparatus like smartphones. House sales were up, companies invested more in their operations and staffing agencies also performed well, with a sharp rise in temporary workers, the CBS said. ‘

These figures show that we are able to keep moving upwards,’ economic affairs minister Henk Kamp told new agency ANP. ‘The economy continues to grow and that growth is spreading to more sectors.’