British Manufacturing Output Suffers Setback

June 8, 2006
The British manufacturing sector suffered an unexpected setback in April after posting its best performance in 11 months in March, official figures released on June 8 showed. The office for National Statistics revealed that manufacturing output fell by a ...

The British manufacturing sector suffered an unexpected setback in April after posting its best performance in 11 months in March, official figures released on June 8 showed. The office for National Statistics revealed that manufacturing output fell by a seasonally-adjusted 0.2% in April on a monthly basis, following an unrevised 0.7% rise in March.

The decline was the weakest monthly performance since a fall of 0.7% in October 2005, and stood in marked contrast to a raft of surveys indicating that the beleaguered sector was benefiting from an improvement in fortunes.

The statistics office said there had been no significant rises within the manufacturing sector in April. The biggest decline was registered by the paper, printing and publishing industries, which saw output fall by 1.3 %.

Meanwhile, the wider industrial production measure, which also includes mining, quarrying and utilities as well as oil and gas output, fell by a seasonally-adjusted 0.6% in April from the previous month, against predictions for a 0.4% increase. In March, it had risen by 0.7%.

On a 12-month basis, industrial production, which accounts for around 20% of Britain's gross domestic product, was 1.0% lower, against forecasts of an unchanged reading.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

7 Crucial Steps to Improve Your OT Security

Oct. 23, 2023
Enhance OT security in manufacturing and production. Uncover the crucial steps to safeguard your operational technology. Protect against evolving threats and bridge the IT-OT ...

Modern Edge Computing Accelerates Smart Manufacturing Initiatives for Discrete Manufacturers

Oct. 22, 2023
Discover how Edge Computing platforms are a requisite for discrete manufacturers to solve production challenges, accelerate digitalization, and establish a reliable infrastructure...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Goodridge Boosts Productivity & Saves Costs by Moving to the Cloud!

Dec. 4, 2023
With Infor's cloud solutions, Goodridge has been able to greatly increase overall productivity, cost savings, data visibility, and automation. This case study discusses the many...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!