Confounding economists' predictions of a rise, Britain's manufacturing output fell in February, official data showed on April 5. The office for National Statistics revealed that manufacturing output, which accounts for about 17 % of overall economic activity, fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in February from January.
The figure dashed analysts' hopes of a 0.2% monthly increase, and compared with a gain of 0.2% in January. On a 12-month basis, output was 1.5% lower in February, compared with analysts' forecasts of a 1.0% drop.
Meanwhile, the wider measure of industrial production, which includes energy and mineral extraction, also worsened, according to the data. Industrial production, which accounts for just over 20% of gross domestic product, fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.3% in February from the previous month, against expectations of a 0.3%.
On a year-on-year basis, industrial production was 1.4% lower against forecasts of a 0.9% decline.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006
