Midlands economy improving, says PMI survey
Economic performance in the private sector is continuing to improve, according to the latest set of figures from an influential survey. The April figures from the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) show that in the East Midlands output and new business both increased, leading companies to take on more staff. New orders also rose for the seventh consecutive month, albeit at the weakest pace in that sequence. In the West Midlands the figures signalled a tenth consecutive month of rising output in the region’s private sector economy during April. Moreover, the rate of expansion quickened to the fastest for just over two-and-a-half years. Growth remained centred on the manufacturing sector, as service sector performance remained relatively subdued.
