MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Russia's factory activity deteriorated further in March amid faster decreases in output and new orders, survey results from S&P Global showed on Wednesday.
The manufacturing purchasing managers' index, or PMI, dropped to 48.3 in March from 49.5 in February. Any reading below 50 indicates contraction.
New orders fell at the fastest pace in five months due to competition and reduced consumer purchasing power, and export demand was weaker in March.
Consequently, output declined at the steepest rate in three months, and they also scaled back the purchasing activity the most in four years. Manufacturing employment fell for the fourth straight month, linked to redundancies following lower output levels and moves to piecework pay.
On the price front, input costs rose at the second-fastest pace in just over a year due to higher fuel and supplier costs. However, selling price inflation eased amid competition and efforts to drive new sales.
Looking ahead, customer purchasing power concerns dipped the business confidence to the weakest in almost four years.
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