Industrial output fell by 1.6 per cent in May from April

According to Statistics Finland, seasonally adjusted industrial output was 1.6 per cent lower in May than in April. In April, seasonally adjusted industrial output grew by 2.4 per cent from March.

Seasonally adjusted change in the volume of whole industrial output from
the previous month, %

Output grew by 0.2 per cent in May from the year before

Compared to May 2001, seasonally adjusted industrial output grew by 0.2 per cent.

Output continued to grow in several main industries. The greatest increase in output of good 9 per cent from the year before was recorded in the chemical industry. Some of the increase is, however, explained by a maintenance and repair shutdown in this industry in last year's May. The manufacture of electrical products increased by close on 7 per cent. In the wood and paper industry, too, output increased by good 1 per cent from twelve months back. The greatest decrease in output of almost 14 per cent was recorded in energy supply.

Capacity utilisation rate in manufacturing was nearly 86 per cent in May, which is just short of one percentage point higher than in May 2001. In the pulp and paper industry, capacity utilisation rate was good 93 per cent, in the metal industry just under 86 per cent and in the chemical industry nearly 81. Capacity utilisation rate in other manufacturing exceeded 81 per cent.

Seasonally adjusted change in the volume of industrial output 5/2001 - 5/2002, %

Seasonally adjusted change in the volume of whole industrial output from the corresponding time period of the previous year, %

Revised data for May will be published on 31 July 2002 at 8 am in connection with the industrial output data for June. Because of the method used, seasonally adjusted figures for previous months may change even if the original figures did not become revised.

Source: Volume Index of Industrial Output 2002, May. Statistics Finland
StatFin statistical service at: statfin.stat.fi