Economic output in Germany increased again somewhat of late according to the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report. Benefiting from favourable weather conditions, construction in particular picked up again recently. “Industrial output and exports [also] performed better than had been expected based on the weak demand,” the economists write. However, private consumption remained sluggish in the first quarter. Consumers were unsettled despite the stable labour market and real income growth. Inflation eased only marginally and stood at 2.7% in the first quarter.