Published: Tuesday November 10, 2009 MYT 2:33:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday November 11, 2009 MYT 6:53:28 AM

Manufacturing sales down 0.2% in Sept

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's manufacturing sales value in September 2009 decreased marginally by 0.2 per cent or RM77.7 million month-on-month to RM41.2 billion.

Year-on-year, the sales value was down by 20.4 per cent or RM10.6 billion from RM51.8 billion recorded in September last year, said the Statistics Department.

August 2009 sales fell to a revised negative 20.5 per cent to RM41.3 billion year-on-year, it said in a statement Tuesday.

The month-on-month decline was attributed to the drop in sales value of 74 industries (63.8 per cent) out of 116 industries covered in the survey.

The five major industries whose sales value decreased were manufacture of basic iron and steel products (6.7 per cent), wire, wire products and metal fasteners (18.7 per cent), veneer sheets and plywood (11.0 per cent), television and radio receivers, sound or video recording or reproducing apparatus, and associated goods (2.8 per cent), and hydraulic cement (10.9 per cent).

Total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in September 2009 was 937,931 persons, up by 1,641 or 0.2 per cent compared with the preceding month, the department said.

However, year-on-year, the number of workers decreased 53,472 persons or 5.4 per cent from 991,403 persons in September 2008, it said.

Salaries and wages paid in September 2009 increased 1.3 per cent or RM27.1 million month-on-month to RM2.062.2 billion but when compared with the corresponding month of 2008, it declined 3.2 per cent or RM68.7 million.

Productivity or average sales value per employee for September 2009 dropped by 0.4 per cent month-on-month to RM43,979 from RM44,139 the previous month and went down 15.9 per cent as compared with the same month last year, the department added. - Bernama

For full report from the Statistics Department click here

10/11/2009 14-19ST