Upbeat Irish manufacturers continue to hire more staff but cost pressures are still looming 

AIB Purchasing Managers Index is increasingly positive with a rise in new orders in February for the first time in nine months 

AIB's Purchasing Managers Index suggests an increase in new orders allowed factories to continue to hire more staff for the third month in a row. Stock picture

Irish manufacturers are becoming increasingly upbeat about the outlook for the year as factories saw a rise in new orders in February for the first time in nine months, but inflationary pressures remain, a major survey shows.

The increase in new orders allowed factories to continue to hire more staff for the third month in a row, leading to a sharp drop in backlogs, the AIB Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) shows. The PMI surveys the managers best placed to monitor manufacturing activity.