Factory output at a standstill in August

Latest official figures show growth in manufacturing output at a standstill.

Growth in manufacturing output in the three months to August showed no change on the previous three-month period to May. Compared with the same period a year earlier, output from manufacturing firms was up 3.3%.

The Office for National Statistics said part of the slowdown was down to carmakers undertaking seasonal maintenance for longer than usual and output in the transport equipment sector was up by just 0.6% in the three-month period.

The wider measure of industrial output — which includes mining and utilities — was also flat in the three months to August, but was up by 2% on the same period a year earlier.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/iop/index-of-production/august-2014/stb-iop-aug-2014.html