UK manufacturers maintained their bright start to the year in March. The ongoing expansions in production and new orders both gathered pace, leading to a further rise in workforce numbers. Price pressures emanating from the sector also remained on the downside, as input costs and output charges both fell. The seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS Purchasing Manager’s Index® (PMI® ) climbed to an eightmonth high of 54.4 in March, ticking higher from 54.0 in February. The PMI has now remained above the neutral 50.0 mark for 24 consecutive months. Moreover, the average reading for the opening quarter as a whole (53.8) was the ... (full story)