Manufacturing sector contracts due to new order weakness 

The latest PMI reading for the manufacturing sector stood at 49.9 — down from 51.5 in October. Any figure below 50 indicates a contraction within the sector.

Despite an uptick in output during November, the Irish manufacturing sector saw a slight contraction during the month on the back of weak new orders and a drop in employment numbers, the latest AIB Purchasing Managers Index shows.

The latest PMI reading stood at 49.9 — down from 51.5 in October. Any figure below 50 indicates a contraction within the sector.