Rates of expansion in output and new orders eased following the first contraction in new export business for over two years. The subdued performance of the sector also transmitted itself to the labour market, with the pace of manufacturing job creation slumping to near-stagnation.

The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posted 52.8 in August, down from a revised reading of 53.8 in July (originally reported as 54.0). The PMI has posted above the neutral 50.0 mark for 25 successive months, although the latest reading is the lowest registered during that sequence.