LONDON (AP) — Official figures show that the cost-of-living squeeze that many in Britain have experienced since the country voted to leave the European Union in 2016 has eased.

The Office for National Statistics said Tuesday that average earnings for workers, excluding bonuses, were up 2.9 percent in the first three months of the year from the same period the year before.

That's up from 2.8 percent in the November-to-February period and takes wage rises further ahead of the annual inflation rate, which fell to 2.5 percent in March.

The broad thrust of Tuesday's report is positive for the British economy. After the Brexit vote in 2016, the pound fell sharply, a development that raised the cost of imported goods and saw inflation outstrip wage increases.