09.11.201806:05:00UTC+00UK Industrial Production Remains Flat

UK industrial production remained flat, while manufacturing output recovered in September, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed Friday.

Industrial production remained unchanged for the second straight month in September. Economists had forecast a 0.1 percent drop in output.

At the same time, manufacturing output gained 0.2 percent, in contrast to a 0.1 percent fall in August and 0.2 percent decrease in July.

The increase in manufacturing was offset by downward contributions from the other main sectors.

On a yearly basis, industrial production remained flat after rising 1 percent each in August and July.

At the same time, annual growth in manufacturing eased to 0.5 percent from 1.3 percent. This was the weakest in the current sequence of growth that started in November 2016.

In the third quarter, total production grew 0.8 percent, due primarily to the 0.6 percent increase in manufacturing, supported by upward contributions from the other sectors.

Another report from ONS showed that construction output advanced 1.7 percent in September from the previous month. This was driven by a 2.8 percent increase in all new work, which was partly offset by a fall of 0.3 percent in repair and maintenance.

In the third quarter, construction output advanced 2.1 percent following a 0.8 percent rise in the second quarter.