Orders received by manufacturing industry in the 16 euro countries fell faster than expected by experts in September. As reported by the EU statistics authority Eurostat, the decline was 3.8 per cent compared with August. Economists had expected a deterioration of merely 3 per cent. In Germany orders received weakened by 3.5 per cent. In comparison with September in the crisis year 2009 there has been a plus of 13.5 per cent in orders received in the eurozone. This is also below forecasts, which had assumed a rise of 15 per cent.

In the whole EU, with its 27 member states, orders received dropped by 2.5 per cent month on month in September. Year on year they were 13.4 per cent higher.