More good cheer for manufacturing sector

THERE was more good news for manufacturers yesterday as conditions in the sector improved for the eighth month in a row in April.

The monthly Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which measures the health of the manufacturing industry, was 53.9 during the month.

This was comfortably ahead of the key 50.0 mark that marks the difference between a positive and negative climate, but behind the 54.4 recorded in March.

NCB chief economist Dermot O'Brien, who conducted the survey of managers in the manufacturing sector, said the results showed the recovery in Irish manufacturing was becoming stronger. Mr O'Brien said the solid growth in output from factories was being driven by improved orders from Irish and foreign customers.

But while numbers employed were only marginally ahead of the previous month, employment gains were becoming more consistent than in the months when signs of an economic recovery were more tentative.

The index also showed strong growth in incoming new work, as order volumes continued to increase on the back of higher demand.