Summer growth in manufacturing activity
28 August 2012
The growth in UK manufacturing activity accelerated in July, according to the latest purchasing managers' index (PMI) figures.
The PMI - a composite indicator of economic activity from CIPS and NTC Research, where 50 means no change on the previous month - rose to 56.3, up from a revised level of 55 in June.
Supply chain bottlenecks were the main cause of higher input prices, at 65.2, with purchasers naming steel as a particular problem. Rising oil prices also fuelled higher plastics...