Manufacturing woes are not just recession linked

The UK economy is not on the brink of recession yet, although the manufacturing sector has been hit hard, according to fund managers. Manufacturing output for the three months to the end of June decreased by 2%, falling for the second successive quarter. With the outbreak of foot and mouth aggravating matters, it came as no surprise that the sector is in recession, says global market economist at Gartmore, Jamie Lewin. 'Manufacturing has been experiencing difficult conditions for a while but this is not just down to the global slowdown,' he says. 'It started with the strength of the p...