16 November, 1998

Inquiries: Mr Ari Mikkelä + 358 9 1734 2479
Director in charge: Mr Ilkka Hyppönen

Industrial output up by 8.5 per cent in September

According to Statistics Finland's index per working day, industrial output went up by 8.5 per cent in the year to September. The manufacture of radio, television and communication equipment increased by as much as 79 per cent on the year before. In contrast, the production of pulp, paper and paper products grew by only one per cent compared to last year's September.

Output in the metal industry went up by one fifth in the year to September. The manufacture of electrical equipment rose by almost 49 per cent. Without the growth of output in the electrical industry, the whole industrial output would have increased by only one per cent in September. The manufacture of both machinery and equipment and of vehicles went up by 3 per cent on the previous year.

In September, output in the wood and paper industry increased by 2 per cent and in the chemical industry by nearly 9 per cent. The maintenance stoppages in September 1997 account for the strong output growth in the chemical industry this September. Output in energy and water supply fell by almost one per cent in September. Output in the food industry remained almost unchanged compared to last year's September.

September capacity utilisation rate in manufacturing was nearly 90 per cent, which is more than one percentage points higher than in September 1997. In the pulp and paper industry as well as in the metal industry, the capacity rate was 92 per cent and in the chemical industry nearly 83 per cent.

During the January to September period, the revised growth rate in industrial output increased by 8.7 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. Output in the metal industry grew by good 16 per cent. In the same period, output in the wood and paper industry went up by almost 7 per cent, in the chemical industry by nearly 6 per cent and in other manufacturing industry by about 3 per cent on the year before.

In August, the revised growth rate in industrial output as calculated per working day was 5.4 per cent, which is 0.1 percentage points above the previously published figure.

Source: Volume Index of Industrial Output 1998, September. Statistics Finland