LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK manufacturers expect output to stabilize in the next three months following a fall in the three months to October, the latest quarterly Industrial Trends Survey results from the Confederation of British Industry showed Thursday.
The output volume balance dropped to -10 percent in the quarter to October from -4 percent in the three months to September.
However, firms expect output to be broadly flat in the three months to January. The balance rose to -1 percent, marking the strongest expectations since February 2025.
The share of firms citing orders or sales as a factor likely to limit output in the next three months was broadly unchanged from July, at 68 percent.
Meanwhile, the share of firms citing a shortage of skilled labor as a constraint on output over the next three months surged to its highest since January 2025. The corresponding balance came in at 32 percent.
Further, the survey showed that total new orders fell through the quarter at the slowest pace since April 2025 with the indicator rising to -16 percent from -24 percent in July, reflecting declines in both domestic orders and export orders.
Manufacturers expect the total volume of new orders to decline in the three months to January. The balance remained at -17 percent.
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