Manufacturing: Business Climate Continues to Cool

The business climate in manufacturing cooled down for the sixth month in succession in October. The manufacturers surveyed were far less satisfied with their current business situation and more sceptical about their six-month business outlook. Demand continued to fall and inventories rose once again. Production had to be ramped down to a greater degree than in recent months. At 83.7% the capacity utilisation rate of equipment and machinery was 0.3 percent lower than in the previous quarter.