Manufacturing output marks year of growth

Manufacturing posted its 12th consecutive three-monthly rise in the three months to October, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Output was up by 1.1% on the previous quarter, following on from rises of 1.1% in the three-month period to September and 0.7% for August.

In the three month period ending October, growth was strong in two sectors: chemicals and man-made fibres posted a 2.5% rise; and basic metals and metal products output was up by 2.3% on the previous three-month period.

The index of manufacturing was up by 5.6% on the same three-month period a year earlier.

The more volatile monthly figures show manufacturing output increased by 5.8% in October on the previous October. Output increased in 10 of the 13 manufacturing sub-sectors, fell in the other three. The largest increases in output were in the machinery and equipment industries which rose by 16.8% and the basic metals and metal products industries which rose by 13.7%.

Meanwhile, the production industries (manufacturing, utilities and mining) saw output up by 0.6% in the three months to October on the previous three-month period and by 3.8% on the same three-month period a year ago.

www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iop1210.pdf