Total industrial output fell by 0.2% between November and December, blamed on lower North Sea oil output and uncertainty over the economy in the eurozone. The largest decrease was mining and quarrying, down by 1.4%.
For Q4, industrial output was up 0.1% and industrial production increased by 1.4% from 2013. Unlike energy, mining and utilities, manufacturing alone saw an annual rise of 2.7%. However, the sector's recovery slowed, increasing by just 0.1% in December, compared with 0.8% in November. The main contributors to the increase were computer, electronic and optical products; transport equipment; and food products, beverages and tobacco.
