Growth of eurozone manufacturing production accelerated to a ten-month high in March, underpinned by the fastest expansion of incoming new business since April of last year. With the performance of the sector strengthening further, companies raised employment at the quickest pace for over three-and-a-half years.
At 52.2 in March, up from 51.0 in February, the final seasonally adjusted Eurozone Manufacturing PMI® was above its earlier flash estimate of 51.9. The PMI currently stands at its highest level for ten months and has remained in expansion territory since July 2013. (…)
March saw the sharpest increase in new export orders since April 2014, with growth registered in Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland. Companies reported that the weaker euro was the main factor driving new export orders higher. (…)