British manufacturing output maintained a healthy pace of growth in July and industrial output recovered from a dip caused by an early start to oil rig maintenance in June, official data showed today.
Manufacturing output rose 0.3% on the month, the same pace as the previous two months, lifting the annual rate to 4.9% - the highest since December 1994.
Industrial output also rose 0.3% on the month, recovering from a 0.5% drop in June and taking the annual rate to 1.9%.
Both sets of figures were exactly in line with forecasts and confirm a picture of a strong rebound in manufacturing after heavy losses in the recession of 2008-09.
However, recent surveys - particularly the purchasing managers' index - suggest that momentum has slowed a little over the summer. The three-month on three-month rate of growth in manufacturing eased to 0.9% from 1.6%, its lowest rate since February.
The statistics office said the monthly rise in industrial output was driven by increases in manufacturing and mining and quarrying and that there was scope for further gains as more oil rigs came back on stream in August.
Within the manufacturing sector the main rises were seen in the machinery and equipment, textiles and paper, printing and publishing categories. The main faller was transport equipment.
