Economy
Rising costs and slowing demand pull back manufacturing sector
Activity contracted in March after a rise the previous month
The Irish manufacturing sector contracted in March, hit by rising costs and slowing demand.
Higher transport costs, rising commodity prices and elevated wage pressures all contributed to a “robust increase” in overall cost burdens at manufacturing companies, according to the AIB S&P Global manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI).
The index showed there were declines in both production and incoming new work in March. Output fell at the fastest rate since October 2023 and new orders ...
