Fact Service October 2011

Issue 41

Manufacturing output in summer slowdown

There was slower growth in manufacturing output in the latest three-month period, according to the latest official figures.

The manufacturing sector showed 0.4% growth in the three months ending August against 0.9% in the three months to July. It was up by 2.5% on the same period a year ago.

The more volatile monthly figures showed 1.5% growth in August 2011 against August 2010. The main contributions to this growth came from the manufacture of food, beverages and tobacco industries (+4.8%) and machinery and equipment industries (+8.3%).

Industrial production (manufacturing, mining and utilities) showed a 0.2% increase in the three months to August against nil growth in the three months to July, but was down by 0.6% on the same three months in 2010.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_234523.pdf