The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS PMI rose to 53.1, up from October's 27-month low of 51.1. However, the performance of the sector remained comparatively lacklustre, with the latest PMI reading still among the weakest registered over the past two-and-a-half years.

The trend in output strengthened slightly during November, as new order intakes rose following October's decline. The domestic market remained the prime source of new contract wins. Where an increase was reported, this was linked to new product launches and client stock-building. Output and new orders rose across the consumer, intermediate and investment goods sub-industries