Germany’s central bank says the economy apparently returned to growth in the 2nd quarter

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s central bank says the country’s economy appears to have returned to slight growth in the April-June period after shrinking for two consecutive quarters. Germany’s national statistics office said in late May that Europe’s biggest economy contracted by 0.3% in the first three months of this year, marking the second consecutive decline that is one definition of a recession. Gross domestic product declined by 0.5% in last year’s fourth quarter. In its monthly report, the Bundesbank on Monday said that economic output appears to have “increased slightly” in the second quarter, without quantifying the expected gain. It said that private consumption apparently stabilized, thanks to a solid labor market, pay increases and the lack of a further significant increase in inflation.