‘Surprise’ fall in UK manufacturing output

After reporting bullish results for most of 2007, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed a decrease in UK manufacturing output of 0.2 per cent in the three months to November 2007 compared with the three months to August 2007. Output decreased in six out of the industry’s 13 sub-sectors, increased in six and remained unchanged in one. There were significant decreases within the basic metals and metal products industries, where output was down by 1.6 per cent and within the electrical and optical equipment industries, where output fell by 1.4 per cent. None of the increases was significant. The less reliable single month figures for November alone showed manufacturing output down by 0.1 per cent with eight sub-sectors decreasing. Again, there was a significant decrease in the electrical and optical equipment industries, where output fell by 1.9 cent, but there was also a significant increase in the transport equipment industries, where November output increased by 2.4 per cent.