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Italian manufacturing sector experiences further slowdown of growth
The recent growth slowdown of the Italian manufacturing sector continued during April as weaker domestic market conditions limited order book and production gains. Business sentiment softened to an eight-month low. Manufacturers nonetheless continued to add to their workforce numbers, enabling a first reduction in backlogs of work for a year. Rates of inflation for both input and output prices continued to soften during the month. The headline IHS Markit Italy Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI® ) – a singlefigure measure of developments in overall business conditions – declined for a third ... (full story)