Manufacturing Leads Growth In Production

Manufacturing made by far the biggest contribution to the overall production output increase of 0.5% with growth of 0.7% between Q3 and Q4 2013 according to data from the ONS.

The annual comparison shows that production output was 1.8% higher in December 2013 than in December 2012. When this is broken down into industry sectors manufacturing rose by 1.5%, mining and quarrying by 2.6% and water services by 7.9%. These rises were offset by a fall of 3% in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning.

Between November 2013 and December 2013 production rose by 0.4% and manufacturing by 0.3%. The manufacture of basic pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical preparations, coke and refined petroleum products and the manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco were mainly responsible for the rise.

The figures are seasonally adjusted.

Producer Output Price Rises In September

The output prices of home sales of manufactured products increased by 2.5% in the year to September 2012 compared with an increase of 2.3% last month according to a statistical bulleting from the ONS. Between August and September the index for output rose by 0.5%, the same as between July and August. Input prices however fell b y 1.2% in the year to September 2012 compared with a fall of 1.1% last month. Input prices also fell between August and September by 0.2% compared with a rise of 1.9% between July and August. The largest changes in output prices were in tobacco and alcohol with an 8.7% increase, petroleum products 3.4%, computer, electrical and optical with 2.9% and other manufactured goods with a 2.8% change. The largest changes in input price were in imported metals with a -12.8% percentage change and home food materials with a change of 10.1%. Fuel increased by 7.4% and crude oil fell by 2.3%. Imported chemicals and imported parts and equipment also fell by 3.6% and 3% respectively.

Pricen Rises For Producers In October

Output prices for home sales of manufactured goods rose 4% in the year to October and 0.6% over the month. Input prices for materials and fuels for manufacturing rose by 8% in the year to October and 2.1% over the month.

On the output side, petroleum products increased by 10.6% and chemicals and pharmaceuticals by 6% over the year while clothing, textiles and leather increased by only 1.4%. Within the inputs imported metals increased by 20.5% and crude oil increased by 16.2%. Fuel fell by 4.8% over the year to October.

Factory Gate Prices Increased In August

Producer output and input price indices from the ONS increased in August. The output index for home sales of manufactured goods increased by 4.7% over the year to August. The monthly index between July and August was unchanged. The inputs index shows an increase of 8.1% over the year but a fall of 0.5% over the month to August.

The main contribution to the change in the annual output index was an increase of 11.6% in the price of petroleum products. Other significant contributions came from 'other products' (6.9%) and electrical and optical (6.5%). On the inputs side, significant contributions were made by imported metals (17.5%), crude oil (11.8%) and imported chemicals (10.7%).