China39;s private PMI stalls in March survey
South Korea, Japan saw factory activity shrink in March
Surveys highlight fragile nature of Asia39;s recovery

LONDONTOKYO, April 3 Reuters Global factory activity weakened in March as consumers feeling the pinch from rising living costs cut back, surveys showed on Monday, suggesting a deteriorating outlook will remain a drag on economic recoveries and keep policymakers on their toes.

Although factories across the euro zone saw a further decline last month, the cost of manufacturing fell for the first time since mid2020.

SP Global39;s final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers39; Index PMI fell to 47.3 in March from February39;s 48.5, just ahead of a preliminary reading of 47.1 but below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction for a ninth month.

An index measuring output, which feeds into a composite PMI due on Wednesday that is seen as a good guide to economic health, did however rise to a 10month high of 50.4 from 50.1.

Today39;s PMI results highlight that challenges remain for manufacturing companies. Although consumer demand has largely held across sectors, this could lessen gradually, said Thomas Rinn, global industrial lead at Accenture.

German manufacturing activity shrank in March at the fastest pace in almost three years, while weak demand continued to drag down France39;s factory sector as purchasing managers turned pessimistic about the 12month outlook for their businesses.

In Britain,…