Manufacturing output almost 2 percent down in May

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© Hollandse Hoogte
The average daily output generated by the Dutch manufacturing industry was 1.8 percent down in May 2019 compared to the same month last year. In the previous month, output was 1.0 percent down year-on-year. In May, output in the electrical and electronics industry showed the strongest year-on-year growth. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

Average daily output manufacturing (volume)
jaarmaandchange (year-on-year % change)
2015June3.1
2015July0.3
2015August-1.1
2015September-0.6
2015October2.5
2015November1.9
2015December2.9
2016January3.5
2016February0.7
2016March2.3
2016April4.4
2016May2.7
2016June3.2
2016July3.3
2016August2.4
2016September2.3
2016October0
2016November3.4
2016December6.7
2017January0.4
2017February4.9
2017March3
2017April0.5
2017May5
2017June2.4
2017July2.7
2017August3.7
2017September4.8
2017October5.1
2017November5.3
2017December4.4
2018January7.5
2018February3.2
2018March3.8
2018April4.7
2018May2.9
2018June3.3
2018July0.9
2018August4
2018September1.7
2018October2.4
2018November1.3
2018December-4.3
2019January0.2
2019February0.4
2019March-0.4
2019April-1
2019May-1.8

Strongest production growth in electrotechnical industry

Of the eight largest industries within manufacturing, the electrical and electronics industry recorded the largest output growth at nearly 8 percent. Production also increased in the transport equipment and chemical products industries. The machinery industry saw the largest output decline.

Average daily output manufacturing (volume) by sector, May 2019
 change (year-on-year % change)
Electrical and electronics7.9
Transport equipment4.6
Chemical products1.8
Food products-1.1
Rubber and plastic products-1.3
Metal products-4.2
Repair and installation of machinery-6.6
Machinery-10.2
Manufacturing (total)-1.8
Altogether, the industries referred to in the above graph account for approximately 75 percent of the total manufacturing output

Stable trend

A more accurate picture of short-term output developments is obtained when figures are adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern. After adjustments, a decline is seen in manufacturing output between April and May 2019 of 0.5 percent. 

Adjusted for seasonal and working-day effects, manufacturing output is seen to fluctuate significantly. From mid-2014 until the beginning of 2018, the overall trend was upward. Subsequently, the trend has been relatively stable.

Seasonally adjusted average daily output manufacturing (volume)
jaarmaandindex (2015=100)
2015June100.6
2015July99.9
2015August98.8
2015September99.3
2015October101.4
2015November101.5
2015December100.4
2016January101.9
2016February101.1
2016March102.1
2016April103.4
2016May102.1
2016June103.3
2016July102.9
2016August101.7
2016September102.3
2016October102.5
2016November105
2016December106.3
2017January103.1
2017February105.5
2017March105.2
2017April104.6
2017May106.6
2017June106.1
2017July106.1
2017August105.6
2017September107.3
2017October107.7
2017November109.7
2017December110.4
2018January110.5
2018February109.4
2018March109.4
2018April109.4
2018May109.6
2018June109.3
2018July107.6
2018August109.3
2018September109.1
2018October109.6
2018November110.2
2018December107
2019January110.1
2019February109.5
2019March109
2019April108.4
2019May107.9

Dutch manufacturers again less positive

Producer confidence among Dutch manufacturers has deteriorated further in June 2019 to the lowest level in almost three years. Manufacturers are mainly more negative about future output.

Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. According to the IFO indexthe business climate index in manufacturing fell for the tenth consecutive month. In May, average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry was over 4 percent lower than in the same month last year.

The figures published in this news release are provisional and subject to revisions.