Manufacturing contracts during September following fall in export sales

Survey also pointed to strengthening cost pressures faced by goods producers, mostly due to rising prices paid for raw materials

Hiring also fell marginally during September, with survey respondents linking this to non-replacement of departing staff. 

Irish manufacturers suffered a decline in work during September driven by a fall in export sales as well as subdued customer demand, the latest AIB purchasing manager’s index (PMI) shows.

In September, the PMI registered a reading of 49.4, down from 50.4 in August. The PMI reading is derived from a number of production indicators, with any reading below 50 indicating a contraction.