Manufacturing output broadly flat


Manufacturing output was broadly flat, latest official figures show. 


In the three months to July, manufacturing output was down by just 0.1% on the previous three months to April.


There were falls in production in six of the 13 sub-sectors, with the largest three-monthly fall of 1.7% in transport equipment. 


“Manufacturing remains relatively subdued since the start of the year,” said the Office for National Statistics, “though July showed the first significant monthly growth of 2017, with car production increasing partly thanks to new models rolling off the production lines”. The figures show car and trailer output in July rose by 13.7% — the largest monthly increase since March 2009.


Among the seven sub-sectors to post increases in output, there were increases of 3.4% in computer and electronic equipment; 2.0% in drugs and pharmaceutical preparations; and 1.7% in chemicals.


Manufacturing output was estimated to have increased by 0.9% on the same period a year earlier.


Total production — manufacturing, mining and utilities — was estimated to have increased by 0.3% in the three months to July on the previous three-month period. However, production was only up by 0.2% on the same period a year earlier.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/indexofproduction/july2017