REUTERS/Ina Fassbender/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The broad-based downturn in euro zone manufacturing activity eased slightly last month but the sector remained deeply rooted in contractionary territory, prompting factories to trim staffing levels for a sixth straight month.
HCOB's final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, rose to 44.2 in November from October's 43.1, above a preliminary estimate of 43.8.
An index measuring output, which feeds into a composite PMI due on Tuesday and seen as a good gauge of economic health, climbed to 44.6 from 43.1.
"November has not been the prettiest, and this does not refer only to the weather but also to the situation in the manufacturing sector of the euro zone," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank.
The employment index dropped to a low not seen since August 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was cementing its grip on the world.
Persons:
Ina Fassbender, Cyrus de la Rubia, Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Toby Chopra
Organizations:
ThyssenKrupp AG, REUTERS, P, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson
Locations:
German, Duisburg, October's, Hamburg