Manufacturing puts on more growth

Manufacturing posted its ninth consecutive rise in the three-month period to June, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Output was up by 1.6% on the previous quarter, following on from rises of 2.6% in the three-month period to May and 2.4% for April.

Growth was strong in two sectors – basic metals and metal products where it was 5.5% up on the first quarter of 2010 and textiles, leather and clothing, which posted a 5.1% rise.

The index of manufacturing was up by 3.8% on a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the production industries (manufacturing, utilities and energy) saw output up by 1.0% in the second quarter of the year on the previous quarter and by 1.5% on the same quarter a year ago.

The more volatile monthly figures show manufacturing output increased by 0.3% between May and June. Output increased in eight of the 13 sub-sectors, with four sub-sectors decreasing and one being flat. The largest positive contributions to overall output were increases of 1.6% in the food, drink and tobacco industries, 2.0% in the chemical and man-made fibres industries and 2.1% in the basic metals and metal products industries.

Manufacturing output increased by 4.1% in June 2010 compared to the same month a year ago.

www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iop0810.pdf