The mood for British manufacturers soured in September, according to the global accountancy BDO. Its monthly manufacturing index found that the sector’s expectations fell last month, with its index experiencing the worst drop in 18 months, from 113.2 in August to 111.6. Any result above 100 suggests growth, but falling numbers tend to correlate with reduced confidence in the future. This is not being reflected in hiring plans, however, as BDO’s employment index rose 1.1 points to 112.3 in September. “This indicates that the recent trend of falling unemployment is likely to continue,” wrote BDO in its report “with firms expecting to increase hiring towards the end of the year.”
