EEF blog

Today's PMI showed manufacturing performing at its strongest since 1994.

Exports in goods are driving total export growth (blog post here)

Manufacturing is an important employer, accounting for 11% of employment in England, & more outside the SE 

Manufacturing accounts for three quarters of the total amount spent on R&D by UK business 

UK manufacturing is about more than production: 2/3 companies offer services on the back of their products 

EEF's Business Trends survey shows that manufacturing is growing strongly & firms are positive about new orders 

The Index of Production shows the manufacturing recovery maintaining momentum, with 0.6% growth in October 

One in seven manufacturers that had shipped production offshore are bringing activity back. 

UK exports in goods grew £0.9bn (4.1%) in October 

Nearly half of the UK's exports come from manufacturing 

(on this date) there was one "manufactured" band left in XFactor ... (proving how diverse UK manufacturing can be) 

Over 90% of UK manufacturers are exporters

Manufacturers are highly innovative. 70% are "innovation-active" (whole economy 58%) 

In the last decade productivity in manufacturing grew at nearly double the rate for the whole economy 

In the last year productivity in ukmfg grew 5.7% (compared with 1.4% for whole economy) 

Average weekly earnings are higher in manufacturing than for the whole economy 

Manufacturing accounts for 12% of GVA  

36,900 people started Engineering and Manufacturing apprenticeships in the last year 

Goods exports to China have were 50% higher in October than they were in January  

Goods exports to the BRIC economies were up 43% in the 3m to Oct compared with the same period last year 

Manufacuturing has accounted for, on average, nearly 1/3 of growth each quarter this year so far.

Investment by manufacturers was up 0.7% over the year 

There are approximately 133,000 manufacturing companies in the UK 

2.5 million people work in manufacturing – and a Merry Christmas to all of them!