Manufacturing is booming in the south-east of England, but floundering in the northwest and West Midlands.
In its quarterly snapshot of industrial confidence, Make UK said that output in the southeast stood at +26, while in the northwest it was 16 and in the West Midlands it had plunged into negative territory to -11.
The gulf in domestic orders was even sharper, with the southeast reporting a +30 balance, while the West Midlands was at -27. Export shows a similar disparity, with the southeast celebrating a +39 positive balance, while the northwest was at zero and the West Midlands at -9.
Employment showed the southeast at +26, while the northwest was +4 and the West Midlands again in negative territory at -16.
Make UK said there was “a clear two-speed economy in manufacturing performance”.
