Index of Production, December 2012

Figure 1: Seasonally adjusted production and manufacturing

Source: Office for National Statistics

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The seasonally adjusted index fell by 1.9 per cent between the third and fourth quarter of 2012. This was the largest quarter on quarter fall since the first quarter of 2009. The largest contributions to the quarterly fall came from the mining & quarrying sector, falling 11.0% and the manufacturing sector falling 1.3%. The fall in mining and quarrying was due to an extended and later than usual maintenance period at the UK’s largest North Sea oil field and an unplanned shutdown at the Theddlethorpe gas terminal. Manufacturing experienced falls across 9 of the 13 sectors. The colder temperatures in October and November saw demand increase in the energy supply sector which partially offset the quarterly fall, rising 2.3%.

Between December 2011 and December 2012 the index fell 1.7%, largely due to the falls of 9.3% in mining & quarrying and 1.5% in manufacturing.

A slightly different picture month on month where the index increased by 1.1%: manufacturing rose 1.6% and mining & quarrying rose 1.2%, offset by the energy supply sector which fell by 0.9% and water & waste management which fell by 0.2%.

Source: Office for National Statistics

Background notes

1. Production and Manufacturing data is from the latest “Index of Production Bulletin”  published on the 7 February 2012.

2. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk

   These National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.