P121 CEEFAX 121  Sat 16 Apr  17:23/51
 
  
  
  INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY PICKS UP 
                                        
 The overall level of industrial output 
 improved a little in February for the  
 third month running.                   
                                        
 Manufacturing production, however, was 
 down. While ovjtall output rose bz some
 1.1pc, manufacturing output fell bz    
 1.2pc, a set-back attributable at least
 in part to the effects of the water-   
 workjts' four-week strike.             
                                        
 Overall output was 2.9pc higher than a 
 year earlier, manufacturing down 1.2pc.
                                        
 * US industrial production rose bz     
 1.1pc last month.                      
                                        
  ECONODATA ON 2 229 BBC2 