UK manufacturing edges into growth territory for first time in over a year UK manufacturing has edged into growth territory for the first time in over a year following months of struggle piling onto the sector. The S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI) hit a 14-month highof 50.2 in November, up from 49.7 in October. This placed the industry above the all-important 50 mark which indicates [...]
Construction industry sheds workers at steepest rate in five years Economics The UK’s construction industry suffered another crippling hit in October after the rate of job shedding hit its steepest level in just over five years. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed the sector had tumbled to 44.1 last month, down from 46.2 in September. This marks the tenth consecutive month the [...]
UK businesses shrug off Budget tax fears in push for growth Economics UK businesses enjoyed a boost in activity in October due to improved demand for good, a leading survey has indicated, in signs that the momentum in growth was growing ahead of the Budget. S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has offered the Chancellor and the Bank of England some positive relief ahead of crucial policy [...]
Flash of ‘hope’ ahead of Budget as manufacturing roars back to life October 24, 2025 The UK economy had a flash of “hope” in October after manufacturing roared back to life ending a year-long slump. The latest ‘flash’ PMI from S&P Global showed business activity jumped to a two-month high at 51.1, this was up from 50.1 in September. The growth was driven by a sharp uptick from the manufacturing sector which hit [...]
‘Subdued’ services sector suffers steep drop as tax hikes bite October 3, 2025 Business activity expansion fell to a five-month low after a “subdued” services sector experienced a dull end to the third quarter. S&P’s UK Services Purchasing Managers Index Business Activity tumbled to 50.8 in September, falling steeply from the 16-month high of 54.2 secured in August. “This summer’s acceleration in output growth is now looking like [...]
Why business confidence is all over the place August 12, 2025 Kemi Badenoch looked aghast but Keir Starmer was defiant. Business confidence was at a nine-year high, the prime minister declared in the House of Commons in mid-July. The Conservative Party leader was not having any of it. Neither were many economists and analysts watching from the City. What Starmer claimed was not false, per se. Research [...]
Housebuilding boost as stamp duty ‘disruptions’ fade July 4, 2025 Housebuilding stopped the construction sector from crumbling as an increase in residential work in June was recorded for the first time in nine months, fresh data has suggested. S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for construction showed the sector improved slightly from May, with the decline in total business activity at the lowest level since [...]
UK manufacturing woes deepen as industry ‘hit on several fronts’ April 1, 2025 The latest S&P Global’s UK Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) shows that UK manufacturing’s woes have deepened. S&P Global’s latest PMI survey, which asks around 600 industrial companies about their performances, suggests that manufacturing is again in the downturn following a poor start to the year. The latest figure showed that it decreased to 44.9, which [...]
UK construction output plummets to five-year low March 6, 2025 The UK’s construction output hit a five-year low in February as its fastest downturn since May 2020 continued. S&P Global’s UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index dropped to 44.6 in February, down from 48.1 in January. The latest figure indicated a steep decline in overall construction activity was propelled by a sluggish performance in residential buildings, [...]
UK economy: Services firms’ new orders fall for first time in over a year February 5, 2025 The survey showed that incoming work for services firms decreased in January, ending a 14-month period of continuous growth.