Strong performance by UK manufacturing

Manufacturing continued its recovery with a 13th consecutive three-monthly rise in output in the three months to November.

According to the Office for National Statistics, output was up by 1.2% on the previous three months ending August. Growth was strong in two sectors: engineering and allied industries was up by 2.5% while basic metals and metal products output was up by 2.0% on the previous three-month period.

On an annual basis, manufacturing output was up by 5.4% on the three-months to November 2009.

Meanwhile, the production industries (manufacturing, utilities and mining) saw output up by 0.8% in the three months to November on the previous three-month period and by 3.5% on the same three-month period a year ago.

www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iop0111.pdf