Industrial output up 4.6 % in five months

Industrial output in the first five months went up 4.6 percent compared with the same time last year, while the index calculated on the basis of comparable conditions in terms of the number of working days rose 4.4 percent.

Data from the National Statistics Institute (INS) shows industrial output in May was 5.2 percent higher than in the same month last year.

Companies whose core business is industry-related logged 10.5 percent higher total turnover (including secondary activities) during the first four months compared with the corresponding period of 2003.

The retail companies (except those selling vehicles and motorbikes) also posted higher turnover.

Four-month turnover within the retail sector was therefore 15.1 percent higher than during the same time last year, with sales of non-foodstuffs registering the highest growth.

The companies that sell vehicles, motorbikes or automotive fuels did not have a bad period in terms of sales either. They saw turnover up 12.8 percent in the first four months of 2004 compared with the first four months of 2003. This trend was mainly due to the 14.2 percent turnover increase in the retail of automotive fuel and to the 11.3 percent leap in vehicle retail revenues.

Companies providing market services for the population registered a 24.1 percent rise in turnover compared with the same time in 2003.

The managers of companies in the four key economic fields (industry, constructions, retail and services) estimate their businesses to grow in the near future, though without their numbers of employees following suit, except for in trade and constructions.
miruna.lebedencu@zf.ro