It was business as usual today (Wednesday) for firms in south Essex despite the UK's manufacturing sector slip into recession.

Official Government figures revealed that although manufacturing output rose slightly in June, it fell by two per cent over the quarter as a whole, the second successive quarter to see a fall in UK output - which means the sector is now officially in recession.

However, while things may be getting tougher, many local firms insist there is still no sign of a recession in south Essex.

For more on this story see www.business-in-essex.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.