UK businesses paused trading, no restart: manufacturing
UK businesses paused trading, no restart: manufacturing stood at 3.1% in Jun 2026, according to ONS — Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS). It is one of the indicators in the Business trading status (BICS) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jun 2020 to Jun 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Business trading status (BICS) table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paused trading, no intention to restart | |||||||||||
| Manufacturing | 3.1 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1.3 | ||||
| Construction | 2.5 | 2.8 | 5 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 6.8 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
Understanding UK businesses paused trading, no restart: manufacturing
Industrial producers, component fabricators, assembly plants, and manufacturing facilities across the United Kingdom that have suspended their operations with no stated intention of reopening are measured by this percentage. The indicator isolates factory-based commercial entities that have permanently halted production, separating them from active workshops and temporarily paused facilities within the manufacturing sector. By focusing exclusively on permanent cessation, the series tracks corporate mortality and industrial capacity reduction across the United Kingdom.
Interpreting this metric requires accounting for structural shifts in global supply chains and input costs that disproportionately affect goods producers throughout the United Kingdom. Early survey responses are subject to subsequent revisions as delayed administrative closures are processed. Analysts should prioritise period-on-period movements alongside broader industrial output indices to contextualize whether factory shutdowns reflect localised distress or widespread sector-wide contraction.
Frequently asked questions
- What qualifies as a manufacturing business in this context?
- Any registered enterprise engaged in the physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products falls into this category.
- Are seasonal factory shutdowns counted as permanent cessations?
- No, planned seasonal maintenance or temporary halts with an intent to restart are excluded from this specific no-restart measure.
- How does this series differ from industrial production output measures?
- While output indices measure the physical volume of goods produced, this series counts the proportion of operating units that have permanently shut their doors.