German industrial output unexpectedly fell for the first time in three months in October, led by a drop in production of energy and investment goods such as machinery.
Output decreased 1.8 percent from September, when it advanced 3.1 percent, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said today. Economists forecast a 1 percent gain, according to the median of 38 estimates in a Bloomberg survey. From a year earlier, production declined 12.4 percent when adjusted for the number of work days.
Germanyâs recovery from its worst recession since World War II may slow as the impact of government stimulus measures, such as the now-expired cash-for-clunkers program, wane and a stronger euro damps exports. Factory orders unexpectedly fell for the first time in eight months in October, the ministry said yesterday, led by a decline in sales abroad.