Ireland Factory Growth Hits 3-Month High

2026-09-01 00:09 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

The AIB Ireland Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.4 in August 2026 from 55.1 in July, marking its highest reading in three months.

New orders expanded at their fastest pace in nearly four and a half years, supporting a sharp increase in output, which grew for the tenth consecutive month and at its strongest pace since April 2025.

Employment also rose for a ninth consecutive month, although growth eased from July’s multi-year high.

Purchasing activity remained solid, while firms continued building inventories as supply-chain delays persisted.

Export demand remained subdued due to the Middle East conflict, while transportation delays and capacity constraints extended supplier lead times and pushed backlogs higher.

Input cost inflation accelerated, driven by higher energy and raw material prices, although output price inflation eased to a five-month low.

Business confidence strengthened to its highest since January, with around half of manufacturers expecting higher output over the next year.



News Stream
Ireland Factory Growth Hits 3-Month High
The AIB Ireland Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.4 in August 2026 from 55.1 in July, marking its highest reading in three months. New orders expanded at their fastest pace in nearly four and a half years, supporting a sharp increase in output, which grew for the tenth consecutive month and at its strongest pace since April 2025. Employment also rose for a ninth consecutive month, although growth eased from July’s multi-year high. Purchasing activity remained solid, while firms continued building inventories as supply-chain delays persisted. Export demand remained subdued due to the Middle East conflict, while transportation delays and capacity constraints extended supplier lead times and pushed backlogs higher. Input cost inflation accelerated, driven by higher energy and raw material prices, although output price inflation eased to a five-month low. Business confidence strengthened to its highest since January, with around half of manufacturers expecting higher output over the next year.
2026-09-01
Irish Factory Growth Strengthens in July
The AIB Ireland Manufacturing PMI edged up to 55.1 in July 2026 from 54.9 in June, marking its second-highest reading since May 2022 and signaling another strong improvement in factory conditions. Output and new orders continued to expand at robust rates, supported by stronger domestic demand, though export order growth slowed to its weakest pace since February amid geopolitical uncertainty. Employment rose at the fastest pace since May 2022 as firms added staff to meet healthy order books and expand production capacity. Purchasing activity and inventories increased further, although supply chains remained under pressure due to transportation delays and raw material shortages linked to the Middle East conflict. Input cost inflation eased to a five-month low, while output price inflation slowed to a four-month low. Business confidence strengthened to its highest since February, with nearly half of manufacturers expecting output to increase over the coming year.
2026-08-04
Irish Factory Growth Remains Strong in June
The AIB Ireland Manufacturing PMI eased to 54.9 in June 2026 from May’s four-year high of 55.9 but remained well above the 50 threshold, signaling another strong improvement in factory conditions. Output expanded for an eighth consecutive month, while new orders continued to rise at one of the strongest rates in the past four years. Employment increased again as firms expanded capacity, helping reduce backlogs of work for the first time in four months. Stocks of purchases rose at the fastest pace since January 2023 and finished goods inventories posted their strongest increase since July 2019 amid persistent supply chain disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Although input cost inflation eased from May’s 46-month high, it remained elevated due to higher fuel, freight, and raw material costs, while output price inflation accelerated to its fastest pace since December 2022. Business confidence remained broadly positive despite moderating slightly from May.
2026-07-01