CBI survey reports healthy order books for manufacturers

Of the 457 manufacturers responding to the business organisation’s latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey, 27 per cent of manufacturers described total orders as above normal, while 26 per cent said they were below normal.

The resulting balance of +1 per cent is well above the long-term average (-18 per cent), and is a slight improvement on the previous month’s balance of -2 per cent.

Export order books also picked up slightly in June, with 27 per cent of firms saying they were above normal, and 27 per cent below normal.

The resulting balance of 0 per cent compares with -3 per cent in May, and is significantly above the long-term average (-21 per cent). It is a continuation of the broader trend of improvement that has been evident over the past two years.

Manufacturing firms still expect solid growth in output in the coming quarter. While 28 per cent predict output will rise in the coming three months, 14 per cent predict it will fall.