The manufacturing sector in Australia fell into contraction in December, the latest survey from the Australian Industry Group revealed on Monday, with a PMI score of 46.9.
That's down sharply from the 50.1 reading in November, and it moves well below the boom-or-bust level of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
Among the individual components of the survey, metal products and other heavy industrial categories continued to decline in favor of service industries, AiG said.
That weakness more than offset support among the food and employment components.
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