Factory output up, but below pre-crisis peak

Manufacturing output increased at the start of 2014, but is still below its first quarter of 2008 peak, official figures show.

Factory output was up by 0.4% in the three-month period ending January 2015 compared with the previous three-month period.

There were increases in output of 3.8% in the electrical equipment and 3.6% in coke and refined products. There was a contraction of 4.8% in machinery and equipment not classified elsewhere.

Manufacturing output was up by 2.6% on the same three-month period a year ago.

The more volatile monthly figures showed a contraction for January of 0.5% on December 2014.

The wider measure of industrial output (manufacturing, mining and utilities) saw no growth in the three months to January, but 1.1% growth on the same period a year earlier.

In the three months to January, production and manufacturing were 10.4% and 4.8% respectively below their figures reached in the pre-downturn GDP peak of the first quarter of 2008.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_397842.pdf