BRUSSELS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Official data showed that eurozone industrial production increased by 0.5 percent, slower than expected as unseasonably-bad weather and strikes in major countries hit construction and industry particularly hard.

Economists had expected a 0.7 percent increase of the industrial output in March, following a 0.9 percent month-on-month decrease in February.

Jack Allen, European Economist at Capital Economics said that despite a 0.5 percent increase of industrial production in March, output contracted in the first quarter as a whole.

The economy of the single currency expanded by 0.4 percent in the first quarter of the year compared with the previous quarter, according to the second estimate of the EU's statistical agency Eurostat, in line with the preliminary estimate released two weeks ago.

"That slowdown was primarily a result of strikes and bad weather, which hit construction and industry particularly hard," Allen said.

He expected that construction projects that were put on hold due to snow will now take place in the second quarter and growth might be quite strong then.