UK manufacturers’ optimism hit by rising costs
Optimism among UK manufacturers dipped in June for the first time in 14 months, as challenging operating conditions threaten to slow confidence growth in the sector, according to a survey released today by accountants and business advisers BDO LLP.
The BDO optimism sub-index for the manufacturing sector, which predicts growth expectations in six months’ time, fell from 121.0 in May to 119.5 in June. Although it remains well above the 100 mark that indicates the long-term growth trend, the dip suggests that manufacturers are taking a more considered approach to potential challenges, such as rising operating costs, which could act as a drag on growth.
In contrast, the outlook for the services sector is brighter, with June’s sub-index for services firms accelerated from 101.1 to 101.9. This renewed confidence more than made up for the slack left by manufacturers, as the services sector represents a much larger part of the economy. This led to an overall improvement in UK business confidence, with the BDO Optimism Index rising by 0.4 to reach 104.8 in June, protecting economy-wide growth.
Peter Hemington, partner, BDO LLP said: “UK manufacturers are under growing pressure from a shrinking pool of skilled workers and potential input cost increases, but confidence in the sector is high and firms are still looking to expand well above their long-term trend rate over the next six months. This month’s dip in confidence is a rational response to the issues that businesses face and nobody should have expected the stellar growth we’ve seen in manufacturing so far this year to go on forever.
“But we still don’t know when interest rates will rise and businesses cannot plan for growth on the basis of vague or conflicting statements – policy makers can do more to provide certainty for businesses, enabling them to make informed decisions for the future.”