PMI: Manufacturing conditions still improving

Business conditions in the Irish manufacturing sector continued to improve in the final months of 2003, according to the NCB purchasing managers' index .

New figures published today show that the index was at 52.6 in December. This is the fourth month in a row that the figure was above the 50 mark which divides growth from contraction. The December figure was slightly down from November's 52.8 registered reading.