Decline in industrial production halted (archives)
Photo: Amit Magal
4% rise in market activity reported
Central Bureau of Statistics says further improvement recorded in economic situation, with rise in trade, services turnover index, freeze in industrial production decline
The Central Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday reported a 4% rise in the turnover index in the trade and service sectors in the second quarter of 2009. A halt in the decline in industrial production was also reported.
According to the data, in the period between April-June, industrial production dropped by an annual rate of 0.3%, compared to the 11.4% drop noted in the prior three-month period.
Meanwhile, the high-tech and pharmaceutical industries experienced a 3.1% rise in production. The turnover index for the second quarter of 2009 rose 4%, as opposed to a significant 5.5% drop in the first quarter of 2009.
The wholesales trade sector experienced stable turnover in the period between April – June, this after suffering an 8.7% drop in the prior quarter. In the fields of real estate, leasing and business services, turnover rose by 8% in the second quarter, after a 5.5% drop in the period between January - March this year.
The raise in turnover in the trade and service branches can be seen in all fields, with turnover in community and social services rising by 10.2% in the second quarter of 2009, after dropping 1.3% in the year's first quarter.
In the welfare, and healthcare services' sector, turnover rose by 7.4% compared to a 6.3% rise last quarter, and an 8.4% rise was felt in the education sector, compared to a 0.6% drop in the first quarter of 2009.
The food services and hospitality sector experienced a 5.3% rise in the second quarter, compared to a 5.8% drop in the first quarter of 2009.
The drop in industrial production can be seen in the number of workers employed in the field. In the second quarter of 2009, the general number of workers in the industrial field declined by an annual rate of 5.8%, following an 8.8% annual rate drop in the first quarter of the year.
