Decline in sector mirrors falls across eurozone, Japan and China, say analysts
Manufacturers’ optimism about their prospects for the rest of the year fell to a 27-year low last month amid record stockpiling to cope with the potential fallout of a no-deal Brexit, according to a survey of the industry.
Worries about the UK leaving the European Union without an agreement also prompted manufacturing firms to cut jobs at the fastest rate since February 2013, the IHS Markit/Cips study found.
Related: UK factories slash jobs and stockpile at record rate ahead of Brexit – business live