January's manufacturing sales grew 7.4pc

The manufacturing sector's sales value in January grew by 7.4 per cent to RM52.4 billion from RM48.8 billion a year ago, the Statistics Department said today.

The increased sales value was attributed to higher sales in 66.4 per cent or 77 of the 116 industries surveyed.

On a month-on-month basis (m-o-m), sales dwindled by 0.4 per cent from the preceding month due to the 41.4 per cent slide or sales drop in 48 of the 116 industries.

The department said sales value in December last year was revised to positive 7.5 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to record RM52.6 billion.

"On a seasonally adjusted m-o-m basis, the sales value in December 2012 slipped by 0.9 per cent as compared with the preceding month," it said.

It said the manufacturing sector in December last year engaged 1,032,315 employees, an increase of 9,754 people or one per cent from the preceding month.

On y-o-y, the number of employees grew by 0.9 per cent or 9,035 people from 1,023,280 in January last year.

The total number of employees in December last year has been revised to positive 1.9 per cent y-o-y to 1,022,561 people.

As for salaries and wages, the total payout in January 2013 fell by four per cent to RM2.679 billion on a m-o-m basis.

The total amount paid in January 2013 rose by 9.1 per cent from the same month last year.

Salaries and wages paid in December last year has been revised to positive 7.2 per cent y-o-y to RM2.79 billion.

On productivity for m-o-m basis, average sales value for an employee or productivity in January 2013 dwindled by 1.4 per cent to RM50,718, the department said.

Productivity in January this year rose by 6.5 per cent from the same month last year while the productivity in December last year has been revised to positive 5.5 per cent y-o-y to RM51,431, it added.-- Bernama