Manufacturing takes another fall

Thursday 8th December 2011

New Zealand manufacturing remained in the doldrums in the three months to September, with Statistics New Zealand measuring declining output for the second quarter in a row and noting three years of activity at around current levels.

Sales by volume fell 1.4 percent (seasonally adjusted), similar to the June quarter's decrease, the official statistician said.

"Two of the largest manufacturing industries, meat and dairy, and metal products, drove the September fall," industry and labour statistics manager Neil Kelly said in a statement.

Meat and dairy manufacturing, which is nearly one-third of all manufacturing, fell 1.9 percent while metal product manufacturing fell 4.7 percent.

Of the remaining 11 industries, five recorded decreases.

“The trend for the manufacturing sales volume, which gives a longer-term picture of movements, indicates manufacturing volumes have been fluctuating around the same level for nearly three years,” said Kelly.

The release comes after last month’s BNZ-Business New Zealand performance of manufacturing index showed the sector shrank in October to its worst level since June 2009 as the Rugby World Cup distracted building and construction sectors.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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