Business investment spending over 3 percent down in July

In July 2010, the volume of corporate investments in tangible fixed assets was 3.4 percent down on July 2009. The decline was in the same order of magnitude as in June, but far below the level of the preceding months.

Private fixed capital formation in tangible assets

The decline in corporate investments occurred simultaneously with a low capacity utilisation rate. In July, manufacturers used 80.2 percent of their production capacity. The rate was marginally higher than in April, but still low. Over the period 1989–2008, the capacity utilisation rate continually varied between 80 and 87 percent.

In July, manufacturers evaluating their own production capacity as too small were still slightly outnumbered by those evaluating their capacity as too large, but the gap was smaller than in the previous quarter.