Manufacturing output almost 11 percent up in September

Output growth in almost three-quarters of the industries

In September, almost three-quarters of all industries saw their output increase on an annual basis. With over 61 percent, the machinery industry achieved by far the highest growth. In the transport equipment industry, however, production contracted again. Due to the persistent chip shortage, a number of factories were forced to halt production temporarily in September as well.

Manufacturing output at high level

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 1.0 percent is seen in manufacturing output between August and September 2021.

Adjusted for seasonal and working-day effects, manufacturing output is seen to fluctuate significantly. In the spring of 2020, output declined rapidly and a low point was reached in May 2020. After that, output picked up again. In September 2021, it remained at a high level.

Producer confidence back at record high

In October 2021, the mood among Dutch manufacturers equalled the record high in July 2021. At the beginning of Q4 2021, the industrial capacity utilisation rate deteriorated from 84.1 to 83.8 percent.

Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. In October, German producer confidence according to the Business Climate Index of the IFO Institute fell due to both lower expectations and a lower assessment of the current situation. Supply bottlenecks drove capacity utilisation down 2.1 percentage points to 84.7 percent.

In September, the average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry fell by 1.4 percent year-on-year, as reported by Destatis. Relative to September 2019, it was lower by 9.9 percent.