Business conditions ‘starting to improve’ in UK economy as activity picks up – business live

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Newsflash: Conditions appear to be improving in the UK economy this month.

The latest poll of purchasing managers at British firms has found that growth is picking up after the lull in September, partly helped by the resumption of manufacturing at Jaguar Land Rover after its recent cyber attack.

“October’s flash UK PMI survey brings hope that September was a low point for the economy from which business conditions are starting to improve.

Output has picked up, with a particularly welcome return to growth for manufacturing for the first time in over a year accompanied by an upturn in demand for services, notably among consumers. Business confidence has also brightened slightly, job losses have moderated, and inflationary pressures are coming back to levels consistent with the Bank of England’s 2% target.