In January, industrial production increased in real terms by 0.9%, year-on-year (y-o-y). In the month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, it was by 0.4% lower. The value of new orders decreased by 4.6%, y-o-y.
“Despite all obstacles, the industry as a whole is still holding on. In January, similarly as in the end of the last year, the industrial production was slightly increasing. We can consider that to be a good result, because we compare the figures to January 2020, when the economy in Czechia was still running as usual. The situation in construction has not yet considerably changed, restrictions are reflected mainly in how smoothly buildings are constructed,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, says.
Industrial production1 in January 2021 was in real terms by 0.4% lower, m-o-m. In the year-on-year comparison, it increased by 0.9%. The following economic activities contributed the most to the y-o-y increase of industrial production: manufacture of fabricated metal products (contribution +0.42 percentage point (p. p.), growth by 4.2%), manufacture of chemicals and chemical products (contribution +0.36 p. p., growth by 9.7%), and manufacture of electrical equipment (contribution +0.29 p. p., growth by 4.0%). Industrial production decreased in the following economic activities: manufacture of beverages (contribution −0.3 p. p., decrease by 20.7%), manufacture of food products (contribution −0.3 p. p., decrease by 6.0%), and repair and installation of machinery and equipment (contribution −0.2 p. p., decrease by 10.1%).
“Performance of the industry has slightly decreased in January compared to strong December 2020; in the year-on-year comparison, the industrial production increased by 0.9%. Economic activities that usually contribute the most to an increase in industrial production even reported a moderate year-on-year decrease in January. The considerable decrease of production in the manufacture of beverages reflects the decreased long-term demand as a consequence of the pandemic,” Veronika Doležalová, Head of Industrial Statistics Unit, says.
Sales from industrial activity at current prices1 increased by 1.0%, y-o-y, in January 2021. Direct export sales of industrial enterprises increased at current prices by 3.5%. Domestic sales, which also include indirect export via non-industrial enterprises decreased at current prices by 2.2%.
The value of new orders1 in surveyed industrial CZ-NACE activities decreased by 4.6%, y-o-y, in January 2021. Non-domestic new orders increased by 5.5%, while domestic new orders decreased by 23.9%. The year-on-year decrease was influenced mainly by a high comparison basis from January 2020 when long-term high value orders were contracted. The y-o-y decrease of new orders in total was contributed to by the following CZ-NACE divisions: manufacture of other transport equipment (contribution −5.8 p. p., decrease by 76.6%), manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (contribution −1.1 p. p., decrease by 2.9%), and manufacture of basic metals (contribution −0.2 p. p., decrease by 3.5%). New orders increased in manufacture of fabricated metal products (contribution +1.3 p. p., growth by 12.7%), manufacture of electrical equipment (contribution +0.8 p. p., growth by 8.5%), and manufacture of paper and paper products (contribution +0.3 p. p., growth by 14.4%).
The average registered number of employees2 in industry decreased in January 2021 by 3.5%, y-o-y. In January 2021, their average gross monthly nominal wage remained on the same level as in January 2020.
According to data released by Eurostat, working day adjusted industrial production in the EU27 in December 2020 decreased by 0.4%, y-o-y. Czech industry increased by 2.5%. The biggest year-on-year decrease was reported by Belgium, Portugal, and also Germany – that is by 1.8%. On the contrary, production of Slovak industry increased by 6.8%, year-on-year. According to a preliminary release calendar, Eurostat will release data for January 2021 on 12 March 2021 at 11 a.m.
Starting with data for January 2021, data on the development of sales from industrial enterprises and new industrial orders are presented in a new way. The same as for industrial production, adjusted data are preferred now. Year-on-year rates are published in a form adjusted for the number of working days. Moreover, month-on-month or quarter-on-quarter indices are seasonally adjusted.
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Notes:
1 The year-on-year development of all indicators is adjusted for working days unless otherwise stated. Month-on-month or quarter-on-quarter rates are also seasonally adjusted. Contributions to an increase or to a decrease are calculated from data that are adjusted for working days. January 2021 had two working days less than January 2020.
2 Indicators related to employment in industry apply to the whole population of enterprises the principal (prevailing) activity of which is industry. The indicator of the registered number of employees does not include persons working under various contracts for work (an agreement on work performance and an agreement on work activity), working owners of enterprises, and cooperating household members, who do not have contracts of employment. The piece of data on the registered number of employees in industry also excludes agency workers, who have contracts of employment within economic activities of services (CZ-NACE 78.2).
In accordance with the CZSO revision policy, concurrently with processing of data for January 2021, data for January through December 2020 have been revised.
Responsible head at the CZSO: Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, phone number: (+420) 736 168 543, e-mail: radek.matejka@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Veronika Doležalová, Head of Industrial Statistics Unit, phone number (+420) 734 352 291, e-mail: veronika.dolezalova@csu.gov.cz
Method of data acquisition: direct survey of the CZSO (Prům 1–12)
End of data collection: 4 March 2021
Related outputs: time series https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/pru_ts
Next News Release will be published on: 8 April 2021
