Manufacturing in Britain up 1.8%

London: British manufacturing rose at the fastest pace in more than a year in May as factories rebounded from the impact of an extra public holiday in April and the Japanese earthquake.

Factory output increased 1.8% from the previous month, the most since March 2010, the Office for National Statistics said. It declined 1.6% in April.

While manufacturing has driven the recovery so far, recent data suggest factory output may be slowing as government budget cuts and soaring prices hit consumer confidence and global demand weakens.