dublin aug 1 reuters  a slump in irish manufacturing activity deepened slightly again last month as output was at one of its lowest levels on record but firms resumed adding staff amid a tight labour market a survey showed on tuesday the aib sp global manufacturing purchasing managers index pmi for ireland fell to 470 in july from 473 in june its lowest mark in three years and staying below the line separating growth from contraction for the fifth successive month like in other euro zone countries irelands services sector has continued to boom and offset the downturn in manufacturing to keep the economy in expansion mode after being the fastest growing across the bloc last year manufacturers who responded to the survey said the weakness in ireland continued to emanate from muted demand and pushed the subindex measuring output to 422 from 450 in june a low only previously reached during the covid19 pandemic and the 200809 global financial crisis however firms modestly increased their headcount after cutting staff in june and sustained falls in input costs and output charges offered them and their clients some respite the contraction in the headline irish manufacturing rate was also not as deep as in the euro zone as a whole or neighbouring britain where flash data pointed to readings of 427 and 450 respectively