Manufacturing back in the doldrums

It was back to as you were in October with factory output down, the latest official figures show.

In the three months to October, manufacturing output fell by 0.7% on the previous three months to July, according to the Office for National Statistics. It was a reversal of fortunes on the 0.7% rise in the three months to September.

Compared with the same three-month period a year ago, manufacturing output was down by 1.8%.

In October, the volatile monthly figures show manufacturing output down by 1.3% on the previous month, with 10 subsectors posting a fall, two a rise and one unchanged.

The index of production (manufacturing, mining and utilities) fell by 1.0% in three months to October compared with the previous three-month period and was down by 2.5% on the same period a year ago.

Given the state of the economy, there is now talk of the UK facing a triple dip recession.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_290140.pdf