14 April, 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 6.2 per cent in February
According to Statistics Finland, Finnish industrial output as calculated per working day went up by 6.2 per cent in the year to February 2000.
Output in the wood and paper industry grew by 5.5 per cent in February, whereas in January it went up by 10 per cent. In the electronics industry, output increased by good 19 per cent in February. In January, it increased by good 17 per cent. In the rest of the metal industry output grew by two per cent, while in January it contracted by two per cent. In the chemical industry, output increased by good eight per cent in February. In contrast, output in other manufacturing went down slightly.
Capacity utilisation rate in manufacturing was 86 per cent in February. In the pulp and paper industry, capacity utilisation rate was 94 per cent, in the metal industry 87 per cent, in the chemical industry 79 per cent and in other manufacturing 77 per cent.
In the year to February 2000, Finnish industrial output grew by 6.1 per cent (seasonally adjusted). According to the OECD's seasonally adjusted series, output in the United States was up by 5.6 per cent on the year before. The respective growth figures for Japan and Germany were 8.5 per cent and 5.7 per cent.
Source: Volume Index of Industrial Output 2000, January. Statistics Finland