UK manufacturing data disappoints

By JAMIE GRIERSON
Published on 07/11/2012 00:00

Fears over the outlook for UK manufacturers were raised yesterday as official figures revealed a worse-than-expected monthly performance.

Manufacturing output rose by 0.1 per cent between August and September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, after a 1.2 per cent fall the previous month and compared to City expectations of a 0.3 per cent rise.

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Longer-term trends in manufacturing still show a decline over the year and prospects over the month ahead are challenging. In the face of tough fiscal austerity at home and difficult problems facing our trading partners in the eurozone, manufacturers and businesses in other sectors will have to adjust to a difficult reality of weaker growth prospects.”

But analysts said the figures were unlikely to lead to a downgrade for the third-quarter gross domestic product reading.