15 March, 2000
Inquiries: Mr Rami Peltola +358 9 1734 3615, Mr Kari
Rautio +358 9 1734 2479
Director in charge: Mr Ilkka Hyppönen
Industrial output grew by 6.5 per cent in January
According to Statistics Finland, Finnish industrial output as calculated per working day went up by 6.5 per cent in the year to January 2000. The rate of growth has returned to normal from the record 16 per cent it was in December 1999. Output in the wood and paper industry grew by just under 10 per cent in January whereas in December it went up by nearly 22 per cent.
In the electronics industry, output increased by close on 18 per cent in January, against good 40 per cent in December. In the rest of the metal industry output contracted by one-and-a-half per cent, while in December it still grew by good four per cent.
In the chemical industry, output increased by good nine per cent in January. In contrast, output in other manufacturing went down by just short of two per cent, partly due to a 0.2 per cent decrease in the manufacture of foodstuffs and beverages.
Capacity utilisation rate in manufacturing was 86 per cent in January. In the pulp and paper industry, capacity utilisation rate was 95 per cent, in the metal industry 88 per cent, in the chemical industry 80 per cent and in other manufacturing 76 per cent.
In the year to January 2000, Finnish industrial output grew by 6.2 per cent (seasonally adjusted). According to the OECD's seasonally adjusted series, output in the United States was up by 5.5 per cent on the year before. The respective growth figures for Japan and Germany were 6.7 per cent and 3.9 per cent.
Source: Volume Index of Industrial Output 2000, January. Statistics Finland