Italy’s manufacturing sector remained deep in recession during August, as highlighted by the seasonally adjusted Markit/ADACI Purchasing Managers’ Index ® (PMI ® ) – a composite indicator designed to provide a single-figure snapshot of manufacturing performance – falling to a ten-month low of 43.6, from 44.3 in July. Factors that weighed on the headline number were faster contractions in output, new business and employment, as well as a more marked improvement in supplier delivery performance. Italian manufacturing output fell sharply in August, with the rate of decline the fastest since last November. That extended ... (full story)