UK factory output ‘recovers’


Manufacturing output staged a recovery in the latest three months, official figures show.


In the three months to April, factory output was up by just 0.1% on the previous three months. The rise may be small, but it follows falls in the previous three three-monthly periods


Rises in six of the 13 subsectors included one of 6.1% in pharmaceutical products and preparations.


Manufacturing output was down by 0.9% on the same period a year ago.


The more volatile monthly figures show that in April factory output was 2.3% up on the previous month.


The production industries comprise manufacturing, energy and utilities. In the three months to April, production is estimated to have risen by 0.7% on the previous three months.


Output was up by 0.5% on the same period a year ago.


The monthly figure showed a 1.6% increase on March 2016.


In first quarter of 2016 (January-March), production and manufacturing output remained below the levels of the first quarter 2008 by 10.0% and 6.9% respectively.


Water supply, sewerage and waste management was the only main sector within production to have surpassed its first quarter 2008 value by the first quarter of this year and it had done so by 11.7%.


www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/indexofproduction/april2016