Total industry index up 5.8 per cent

Malta’s Total Industry index witnessed a positive trend during this year’s second quarter, by witnessing an overall increase of 5.8 per cent. The employment index and the wages and salaries index, meanwhile, also registered increases of 10.1 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively when compared with the April-June quarter of 2002.
Turnover in capital goods increased over this year’s second quarter by no less than 25.1 per cent, when compared to Q2 2002. The group of goods’ employment index, however, dropped by 2.6 per cent, while its wages and salaries index increased by 12 per cent this year.
Consumer goods turnover also grew substantially, rising 15.6 per cent between April and June. Employment in the sub-sector skyrocketed, soaring by 80.8 per cent the group's wages and salaries index rose by 41.1 per cent.
The turnover index of the Consumer Non-Durable Goods group increased by 5.7 per cent. The employment index increased by 1.9 per cent while wages and salaries index increased by 7.8 per cent.
The Energy group, again recorded relatively stable indicators. The turnover index decreased nominally by 0.1 per cent. The employment index also recorded a fall of 1.3 per cent, however, its wages and salaries index rose by 13.6 per cent.
The Intermediate Goods category showed a three per cent increase in its turnover index. Its employment rose by 3.5 per cent to 102.8 in 2003 from 99.4 last year. In the period under review, the wages and salaries increased by 11.9 per cent from 99.8 in the second quarter 2002 to 111.7 in 2003.