Industrial output may signal slowdown

Official figures showing a slowdown in industrial output in August may be further evidence of a potential slowdown in manufacturing following the June 23 vote by the UK to exit the EU.

The CSO said output was down from the previous month 13.7% and from August 2015 8.5%.

The figures however, provide an unclear picture—with the output from the so- called modern side of the economy—which includes the many foreign-owned computer services and pharmaceutical companies based in the country — down sharply, by over 23%, from July, and down by 12.7% from a year earlier.