Languishing UK manufacturing sector sees costs fall at fastest rate since 1999

UK manufacturing continued to languish at the end of the third quarter amid near-stagnant exports, weak business investment and waning consumer demand. Firms started to scale back employment levels for the first time in almost two-and-a-half years in September as a result. Some relief came in the form of the steepest drop in input prices for 16-and-a-half years.