Marginal growth manufacturing output

The average daily output of Dutch manufacturing industry was nearly 1 percent higher in February than twelve months previously and slightly below the level of January.

Output did not improve across all branches in February relative to the same month in 2007. The most substantial increase (4 percent) was in food, drinks and tobacco. Wood and building materials and the metal industry realised an output growth of approximately 3 percent. In textiles, on the other hand, output was marginally down on February 2007.  

Seasonally adjusted figures provide a more reliable picture of short-term production developments. Monthly figures not adjusted for seasonal effects are often somewhat erratic. Therefore, the two-month average compared with the previous two-month average is preferred. After correction for seasonal effects and the number of working days, manufacturing output was nearly 1 percent higher in the period January - February 2008 than in the period November - December 2007.

Manufacturing output