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Italian production and new orders continue to fall sharply in August
The Italian manufacturing sector remained mired in a downturn during August. Output and new orders again fell at severe rates, with market demand reported to be subdued. Job losses were signalled for the first time in three years, although confidence in the future strengthened to a four-month high. Latest prices data showed another noticeable drop in input costs, whilst firms sought to stimulate demand by reducing charges. The HCOB Italy Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®), a composite single-figure indicator of manufacturing performance derived from indicators for new orders, output, employment, ... (full story)