October’s industry turnover up 16 per cent

Malta’s total industry index over October registered increases in all three indicators used to gauge its performance, with the turnover index rising by 16.04 per cent from 104.13 in October 2002 to 120.83. Meanwhile, total industry’s employment and wages and salaries indices increased by 3.71 per cent and 6.62 per cent respectively in October this year.
Over the month, the capital goods group’s turnover index fell by 8.91 per cent. However, the group registered an increase in its employment of 2.12 percent from 97.89 to 99.97 and an increase in its wages and salaries Index of 22.72 per cent from 92.74 in October 2002 to 113.81 in October 2003.
The consumer durable goods turnover index registered a decrease of 19.51 per cent from 118.09 in October 2002 to 95.05 in October 2003. The employment index registered an increase of 37.81 per cent for the same period under review. An increase of 22.68 per cent for the wages and salaries index was also registered by the group.
Meanwhile, the consumer non-durable goods group registered an increase of 2.52 per cent in its turnover index, from 110.82 in October 2002 113.61 in October 2003. In the same period, the employment index decreased by 6.55 per cent, from 101.04 to 94.42 and Its wages and salaries index rose from 99.73 in October 2002 to 103.82 in October 2003, an increase of 4.10 per cent.
Over October 2003, the turnover index of the energy goods group increased by 12.61 per cent from October last year. Its employment index decreased by 0.73 per cent, from 99.64 in October 2002 to 98.91 in October 2003. For the same period there was a slight increase of 0.31 per cent in the wages and salaries index.
The intermediate goods group turnover index increased by 32.17 per cent in October 2003 over October 2002. The employment index registered a drop of 4.41 per cent, from 102.38 in October 2002 to 97.87 in October 2003. However, there was a rise of 1.84 per cent in its wages and salaries index from 100.98 in October 2002 to 102.84 in October this year.