UK manufacturing shows biggest slump for decade

Manufacturing
output in the UK last month fell by the largest amount for nearly a decade.

Figures
from the Office for National Statistics show that output reduced by 1.6 per
cent in September, the biggest monthly fall since May 1992 when a 1.7 per cent
slump was recorded.

The
figure was below economists’ expectations and reverses a 1.2 per cent increase
in output recorded in August as a result of higher car production.

There
were significant reductions in electrical and optical equipment, paper,
printing, publishing and transport equipment.

Computers
and the mobile phone industry also recorded significant drops in output.

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Manufacturing
output fell by 0.8 per cent compared to the same quarter last year and output
in production industries reduced by 0.6 per cent.

By Ben Willmott