Polish manufacturing output falls amid economic uncertainty -PMI

WARSAW (Reuters) - The Polish manufacturing sector contracted faster in October than in the previous month, a survey showed, as soaring inflation and uncertainty about the economy exacerbated by the war in Ukraine weighed on output and orders.

S&P Global's Polish Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 42.0 in October from 43.0 in September, remaining below the 50.0 line that separates growth from contraction. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a reading of 42.5.

"October proved to be a challenging month for Polish manufacturers, with rapid falls in both production and new orders recorded," Paul Smith, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said in a statement.

"The war in Ukraine, high inflation, and the hugely uncertain economic outlook all served to undermine sales and confidence heading towards year end."

As a result of the difficult business conditions, firms lowered their purchasing activity by the most in almost two-and-a-half years.

Most firms did not replace leavers or made some workers redundant, leading to a fifth successive monthly fall in staffing numbers.

Input prices continued to rise, and firms responded by raising their own prices at the the sharpest level since July.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish)