LONDON, (Reuters) – September was the weakest month for British factories since February. This is according to a survey that highlighted the effects of staff shortages and supply chain issues on manufacturers.

Although the IHS Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Index Purchasing Managers’ Index declined for the fourth consecutive month, it fell to 57.1 in August from 60.3 in Aug, but was still higher than its preliminary September reading, 56.3.

Delivery delays were among the most significant in PMI history. This was due to reports of staff shortages, freight delays and disruptions caused COVID-19 or Brexit.

The number of export orders fell for the first 8 months. Employment growth was also weakest since January. This is due to small-scale manufacturers cutting their staff.

Because of supply constraints (which now include fuel shortages due to a shortage of truck drivers), the Bank of England lowered its estimates for economic growth in 2021’s third quarter.

Inflation for manufactured inputs has been on the rise due to bottlenecks. September’s record was set by inflation.

Last week, the BoE stated that it expects consumer price inflation to top 4% by the end of this year. This is more than twice its target of 2%. It strengthens the argument for an initial interest rate increase since the pandemic.

The PMI survey revealed that 62% of respondents expected growth in production, despite their current difficulties.