More goods leaving factory gates 


Manufacturing output continued its expansion in the New Year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).


In the three months to January, factory output increased by 0.9% compared with the previous three-month period ending October 2017. The increase was lower than the 1.3% increase for December, but was the seventh consecutive period where manufacturing output has posted an increase.


Six of the 13 subsectors posted increases including a 4.3% increase in basic metals and metal products and 3.9% in “machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified”. On the other hand, output of coke and refined petroleum products decreased by 3.5%.


Factory output was up 2.6% on the same period a year ago. 


The more volatile monthly figures show a 0.1% increase in manufacturing output in January 2018 compared with December 2017, while the increase on the same month a year ago was 2.7%.


The production industries (mining and utilities as well as manufacturing) saw output increase by 0.2% in the three-month period ending January compared with previous three-month period and by 1.4% on the same period a year ago.



In January, the monthly increases for production were 1.3% on previous month and 1.6% on the same month 2017.



www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/indexofproduction/january2018