Dutch Manufacturing Growth Robust In April

(RTTNews) - Dutch manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace in April, as output growth accelerated to a five-month high, survey figures from Markit Economics showed Friday.

The seasonally adjusted purchasing managers' index, or PMI, rose to 54.0 in April from 52.5 in March. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.

The latest reading was the highest in three months and pointed to a solid improvement in overall operating conditions.

Manufacturing output continued to rise in April. Moreover, the rate of growth accelerated to the fastest since last November.

New orders climbed for the twenty-second consecutive month in April and the sharpest since January. New export orders also increased at the fastest pace in three months.

Employment level in the Dutch manufacturing sector rose for the second straight month in April and the rate of job creation quickened since March.

On the price front, input prices increased for the first time in eight months in April, due to the weakness of the euro against the dollar. Meanwhile, selling prices dropped marginally.