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"Some sectors within manufacturing are still growing relatively strongly"
- Lee Hopley, chief economist of EEF
U.K. manufacturing sector contracted modestly in November, according to the data published by the Markit agency on Tuesday. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 49.6 in December from 47.7 in November. A reading below 50 signals contraction.
"Looking ahead, manufacturers are currently relying heavily on backlogs of work to prop up production," said the report's author Rob Dobson. "This is only a temporary fix, and the trend in overall order books needs to improve if the sector is to avoid a protracted period of lacklustre performance."
"Some sectors within manufacturing are still growing relatively strongly, confirming the dual speed recovery seen in the official statistics in recent months," said Lee Hopley, chief economist of EEF, the manufacturers' organisation.