Factory output up, but running out of steam

Some of the steam went out of manufacturing output in the last quarter, according to official figures.

Factory output increased by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2014 compared with the first quarter, but was 3.3% higher than the same quarter 2013, the Office for National Statistics said.

Output increased in four of the 13 manufacturing subsectors. The manufacture of transport equipment increased by 3.1%, while the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations increased by 2.4%. The other two sectors with increased output were: rubber and plastic products and non-metallic mineral products with a 0.9% increase and the manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco, where output increased by 0.6%.

The largest downward contributions came from the manufacture of basic metals and metal products and the manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified — both of which posted a 1.5% decrease — while the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products decreased by 5.3%.

The production industries (manufacturing, mining and utilities) posted a 0.3% quarter-on-quarter increase, while production output was up by 2.1% on the same quarter of 2013.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_373124.pdf