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Concerns over UK manufacturing slow-down

THE national manufacturing sector grew at its slowest pace for 10 months in September, raising concerns about the strength of the recovery, a survey has found.

The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 53.4 last month, from a revised 53.7 in August, while it also showed export orders falling for the first time in more than a year.

Weak order books suggest that the “slowdown in production has further to run,” said Rob Dobson at Markit, which helps compile the survey.

Despite the weak figure, Mr Dobson said that “some reassurance can be gained from the fact that growth has merely slowed from an exceptionally strong rate in the first half of 2010”.

The manufacturing sector has now recouped more than 30% of the losses it sustained during the recession, he said.

“However, more worrying is the order book trend, with total orders rising only slightly following the marked downshift in August, and new export orders falling for the first time since June 2009.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .