Manufacturing output 12 percent down in April

Decrease in approximately three quarters of industries

Three quarters so all industries produced less than the same month in the previous year. Among the larger industries, the chemical industry recorded the sharpest decrease. The repair and installation of machinery recorded the largest increase.

Output fell in April

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, manufacturing output fell by 3.0 percent between March and April.

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, until May 2022. The trend has reversed since then.

Manufacturers less positive in May

Producer confidence among Dutch manufacturers was down in May 2023. This was largely because manufacturers were less positive about order positions.

Germany is an important market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. In April, German entrepreneurs showed slightly lower confidence on balance, according to the Business Climate Index of the IFO Institute. They were considerably more negative about their future business situation and also less positive about their current situation. The average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry was up by 2.6 percent year on year in April, as reported by Destatis.