Manufacturing output over 1 percent up in September

Strongest production growth in machinery industry

Of the eight largest industries within manufacturing, the machinery industry recorded the largest output growth at over 26 percent. Production also increased in the food and the electrotechnical products industry. However, almost half of the industries saw their output decline.

Trend virtually stable

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, an increase is seen in manufacturing output between August and September 2019 of 1.7 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.

Producer confidence hardly changed

Producer confidence among Dutch manufacturers is positive and has remained largely unchanged in the past four months. Confidence among manufacturers is above the long-term average

Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. According to the IFO index in manufacturing the business climate index has improved in October for the first time in five months. German manufacturers were less negative about their future output. On the other hand, they were slightly less positive about their ongoing business. In September, the average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry was 5 percent lower than in the same month last year.