The UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose to 54.9 in September 2026 from 54.4 in the previous month, reaching its highest level since May 2022 and remaining above the 50 threshold for a seventh consecutive month. The improvement was driven mainly by a steep and accelerated rise in new orders, which grew at the fastest pace since January 2022, supported by stronger export sales, AI-related demand and customers bringing forward purchases. Output also increased for a fifth consecutive month, although growth eased slightly from August’s 55-month high. Meanwhile, employment rose for a second straight month as capacity pressures intensified, while firms ramped up purchasing and inventories. On the price front, input cost inflation accelerated to a three-month high, partly due to higher oil, energy, and transport costs, while output price inflation remained elevated.