Shock fall in UK manufacturing output

A surprise fall in manufacturing output during August underlined the fragility of the UK’s pull out of recession today.

The 1.9% slide – the worst performance since January – comes after two months of growth and confounded expectations of a 0.4% rise.

Overall output from the wider production industries, including mining, quarrying and utilities, fell by 2.5%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Experts said the figures meant a return to growth for the overall economy between July and September was now “less certain”.

Capital Economics’ Vicky Redwood said: “August’s dismal industrial production figures will dampen some of the recent optimism about the economy’s apparent bounce-back.”