MaltaMedia.com

Provisional seasonally adjusted data published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) indicate that in the first quarter of 2013, industrial turnover decreased by 1.4 per cent over the previous quarter.

Over the corresponding quarter last year, working day adjusted industrial turnover increased by 4.9 per cent.

When compared to the previous quarter, seasonally adjusted industrial turnover decreased by 1.4 per cent to 124.6 points. This was reflected in a drop in all main industrial groupings with the exception of consumer goods, which increased by 1.7 per cent.

Seasonally adjusted employment edged up by 0.3 per cent when compared to the fourth quarter of 2012, while hours worked increased by 1.1 per cent. Additionally, wages and salaries increased by 1.8 per cent, from 96.3 points in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 98.0 points in the first quarter this year.

When compared to the corresponding quarter last year, working day adjusted turnover went up by 4.9 per cent. This resulted from increases in all the main industrial groupings.

Year-on-year employment fell marginally by 0.3 per cent, mainly due to a decline in employment in energy by 3.5 per cent and in capital and consumer goods by 0.8 and 0.4 per cent respectively. An increase of 1.3 per cent was reported in employment in the intermediate goods sector.

In the period under review, working day adjusted hours and wages and salaries increased by 0.7 and 1.2 per cent respectively.