Manufacturing output 0.2 percent down in December

Output growth in around one-third of the industries

In December, approximately one-third of the industries saw their output grow on an annual basis. Of the industries within manufacturing, the chemical industry recorded the strongest output growth. This important industry recorded higher year-on-year production for the sixth month in a row.

Manufacturing output recovers in fits and starts

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 of 0.5 percent is seen in manufacturing output between November and December.

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 downward. A low point was reached in May 2020. After that, output picked up again, but was still almost 4 percent lower in December than in January 2020.

Dutch manufacturers positive on average in January

In January 2021, confidence among Dutch manufacturers was positive again for the first time since April 2020. This the highest level since March 2020. Manufacturers were more positive both about their order position and about future output.

Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. According to the Business Climate Index of the IFO Institute, producer confidence deteriorated in January 2021 for the first time in nine months. This was mainly because expectations of future output deteriorated significantly. However, opinions on the present level of business activity improved. In December, the average daily output generated by the German industry contracted by almost 2 percent year-on-year, as reported by Destatis.