There could be good news for people seeking project and change management jobs in the manufacturing sector after new figures revealed a positive start to the season.
Despite continued worries over the eurozone crisis and the general economic situation, Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) found that their monthly manufacturing index rose to 52.1 in January.
This was because of the quickest output growth in ten months, while new orders rose following a period of contraction giving hope for production in the next 11 months.
Furthermore, input costs fell and output price inflation slowed to create bigger margins for companies in the sector.
David Noble, chief executive officer of CIPS, said that the sector has "sprung into life" in the first month of the year, though it is difficult to judge whether this will be the norm.
"The marked decline in input prices is good news for the sector's overall profitability. The boost in output is also welcome, but in reality is bolstered by manufacturers working through existing backlogs, which can only be a short-term fix," he explained.
"In the long-term, it's looking like businesses will need to refocus on emerging growth markets outside the weaker eurozone to achieve sustainable growth even though spending was at a higher level in the UK compared to last month."
It comes only a day after more positive news was published from the sector. The British Chambers of Commerce found yesterday (February 1st) that around 20 per cent of exporters are planning to increase their headcount over the next three months.
Additionally, the balance between micro SMEs increasing their staff numbers and those who are not has also risen to plus ten per cent, suggesting more jobs will be created in the sector over the coming months as businesses look to expand their services abroad.
