Ireland's manufacturing activity grew at the strongest pace in four years in May, survey results published by S&P Global showed Tuesday.
The AIB manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 55.9 from 54.9 in April. A score above 50.0 indicates expansion.
The improvement was driven by the strongest upturn in new orders since April 2022. There were further strong increases in production, employment and purchasing activity.
The survey showed that manufacturers brought forward input buying in response to intense supply chain pressures linked to the Middle East conflict.
On price front, data showed that input costs grew at the fastest pace in nearly four years amid higher fuel and raw material prices. In turn, manufacturers passed on higher costs to clients, which led to the strongest growth in factory gate prices since December 2022.
Finally, business expectations rebounded in May from the 25-month low seen in April and reached the highest since February despite rising inflationary pressures and global supply chain challenges.
