15 May, 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 9.1 per cent from previous year in March
According to Statistics Finland, Finnish industrial output as calculated per working day went up by 9.1 per cent in the year to March. The growth of output continued strong despite a strike in the chemical industry.
Output in the wood and paper industry grew by 9.3 per cent from the previous year in March, as against 5.4 per cent in February. In the electronics industry, output increased by nearly 29 per cent in March, while in February it went up by 19 per cent. In the rest of the metal industry, too, output increased by 4 per cent in March, as against 2 per cent in February. In contrast, output in the chemical industry fell by close on 6 per cent, due to industrial action within the industry. In February output in the chemical industry grew by good 8 per cent. In other manufacturing, too, output increased by one per cent.
Capacity utilisation rate in manufacturing was close on 88 per cent in March. In the pulp and paper industry, capacity utilisation rate was 98 per cent, in the metal industry 90 per cent, in the chemical industry 73 per cent and in other manufacturing nearly 81 per cent.
In the year to March, Finnish industrial output grew by 9 per cent (seasonally adjusted). According to the OECD's seasonally adjusted series, output in the United States was up by 5.1 per cent on the year before. The respective growth figures for Japan and Germany were 4.8 per cent and 3.9 per cent.
Source: Volume Index of Industrial Output 2000, March. Statistics Finland