UK factory activity expanded for the fourth consecutive month in February, according to the S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) which indicates growth despite higher cost pressures. The PMI's reading above 50 indicates the longest string of increases since the five months to September 2024. New export orders also increased by the most in four-and-a-half years, reflecting increased demand from China, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. However, there were concerns about the future of Britain's manufacturing sector. The unemployment rate has risen steadily over the past year, reaching its highest in nearly five years in the final quarter of 2025.