Ongoing uncertainties surrounding Brexit, the economic outlook and the political situation continued to weigh on the UK manufacturing sector during October. Output and new order inflows contracted, leading to further job losses. Firms also ramped up stock-building and purchasing activity in the lead-up to the (postponed) October Brexit departure date. The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) rose to 49.6 in October, up for the second successive month but remaining below the neutral 50.0 mark separating expansion from contraction. Please note that data for the latest survey ... (full story)