UK industrial production showed a record fall in April

According to the report from Office for National Statistics, production output fell by a record 20.3% between March 2020 and April 2020. Economists had expected a 15.0% decrease. Manufacturing providing the largest downward contribution, falling by a record 24.3%; there were also falls from mining and quarrying (12.2%), electricity and gas (9.5%) and water and waste (5.3%). 

The monthly decrease of 24.3% in manufacturing output was led by transport equipment, which fell by a record 50.2%, with motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers falling by a record 90.3%; of the 13 subsectors, 12 displayed downward contributions.

Total production output decreased by 9.5% for the three months to April 2020, compared with the three months to January 2020; this was led by manufacturing output, which fell by 10.5%.

The three-monthly fall in manufacturing is because of widespread weakness, with 12 of the 13 subsectors providing downward contributions; this was led by transport equipment, which fell by 28.3%.

For the three months to April 2020, production output decreased by 11.9%, compared with the three months to April 2019; this was led by a fall in manufacturing of 14.0% where 12 of the 13 subsectors displayed downward contributions.