HANOI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's production dipped for the first time in three months, according to a report released by S&P Global Market Intelligence on Monday.

After recording marginal improvements in the opening two months of the year, business conditions in the Vietnamese manufacturing sector were broadly unchanged in March, said the report.

The S&P Global Vietnam manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dipped below the 50.0 no-change mark in March, posting 49.9 after a reading of 50.4 in February, according to the report.

There were signs of demand weakness in March, leading to a drop in new orders despite discounts being offered to help secure sales, it said.

Andrew Harker, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said "on a more positive note, firms are increasingly optimistic that the sector will move back into gear in the months ahead, and this confidence helped drive accelerated job creation at the end of the first quarter."

The PMI index measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the manufacturing sector. A reading above 50 indicates expansion on a monthly basis in the sector, and a reading below implies contraction. Enditem

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