September slowdown for UK manufacturers

This is the conclusion of the latest IHS Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which registered 57.1 compared to 60.3 in August. A score of 50 and above indicates an expansion of the manufacturing sector compared to the previous month.

Manufacturing production increased for the 16^th consecutive month in September, but the rate of expansion eased for the fourth month in a row. Growth was found to be slowed across the consumer, intermediate and investment goods sectors. Gains at medium and large-scale producers were offset by an ongoing downturn among small firms.

Production schedules were disrupted by input shortages, longer supplier lead times and capacity constraints. Average vendor lead times increased amid reports of delays to air, land and sea freight, staff shortages at vendors, COVID-19 and Brexit disruptions, a lack of delivery drivers and port delays.

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Weaker growth of new business also hindered efforts to increase output further during September. New orders rose at the weakest pace since February, as intakes from domestic clients increased at a slower pace and new export work contracted for the first time in eight months.