Industry registers half-year gains

Malta’s total industry index has risen on all fronts, with the index itself rising 7.85 per cent, industry’s employment and salary levels rising by a respective 6.88 and 10.14 per cent. The year-on-year figures, released just yesterday, are considered provisional and account for the first six months of the year.
The Capital Goods showed, by far, showed the most positive trend over the period in question. The segment’s Turnover Index increased by 77.99 per cent, the Employment Index went up by 8.22 per cent, while an increase of 18.44 per cent in the Wages and Salaries index was registered.
Over the first half of the year, the Turnover Index of Consumer Durable Goods group increased by 18.10 per cent over the period between January-June last year. Its Employment Index increased by 30.81 per cent. In the same period there was an increase of 18.02 per cent in the Wages and Salaries Index.
The Consumer Non-Durable Goods is one of the most stable groups. Its Turnover Index increased by 6.8 per cent as compared to the first six months of 2002. The Employment Index registered a slight increase of 0.59 per cent. In the same period, the Wages and Salaries Index rose by 2.67 per cent.
The Energy group is the only sector that registered a drop in two of its variables. While the turnover index increased by 6.01 per cent over the same period of last year. In the same period under review, the Employment Index decreased by 2.72 per cent. However, there was an increase of 2.87 per cent in its Wages and Salaries Index.
Over the period the Turnover Index of the Intermediate Goods group increased by 1.38 per cent. The group registered an increase of 6.72 per cent in its employment levels and an increase in its wages and salaries of 12.41 per cent.