Output falls 2.1%, ONS figures show

The index of manufacturing from the Office for National Statistics showed that the largest downward contributions in manufacturing output year on year were from the manufacture of chemicals & chemical products, which fell by 9.4%; the manufacture of wood and paper products, which fell 9.3% and, the manufacture of rubber & plastic products which fell by 9.2%. In contrast, the largest increase came from the manufacture of transport equipment, which rose by 6.0%. The month on month fall was led by the manufacture of food products, beverages & tobacco, which fell by 2.4 % (largely due to the alcohol manufacturing industries); the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, which fell by 5.1% and the manufacture of coke & refined petroleum, which fell by 19.6% (due to planned maintenance and lower production reported at a number of sites). EEF chief economist Lee Hopley said the figures confirmed the manufacturers' organisation's intelligence that life in manufacturing is getting much tougher, particularly for firms that export to the eurozone.