Mnufacturing companies saw a slight increase in production levels in the three months ending in November, according to initial indications from the Central Statistics Office.

The seasonally-adjusted figures point to a 2 per cent growth in production in the period between September and November, when compared to the previous three months.

When production levels for November are compared to the same month of 2001, growth of 18.6 per cent is estimated on an unadjusted basis. This compares to an annual increase of 15.4 per cent in October.

Monthly industrial production figures are generally considered to be a highly volatile indicator.