Manufacturing turnover flattens out in the first quarter

Published:

Seasonally-adjusted figures show that the total turnover in Norwegian manufacturing was almost unchanged in the first quarter of 2019, compared with the last quarter of 2018. On monthly basis, from February to March 2019, the manufacturing turnover decreased by 1.1 per cent.

Written by: Robert Skotvold

The index value for turnover in manufacturing was 156.3 (2005=100) in the first quarter of 2019, compared to 156.4 in the previous quarter, according to seasonally-adjusted figures.

1  The index value for period m is the average of period m, m-1 and m-2.

Figure 1. Index of turnover for manufacturing. Seasonally adjusted. Three-month moving average¹. 2005=100

Index of turnover for manufacturing
Jan. 2009 142.5
Feb. 2009 141.3
Mar. 2009 142
Apr. 2009 139.5
May 2009 137.2
June 2009 133.5
July 2009 132.8
Aug. 2009 134
Sep. 2009 135.9
Okt. 2009 137
Nov. 2009 137.1
Dec. 2009 137.4
Jan. 2010 137.1
Feb. 2010 136
Mar. 2010 135.1
Apr. 2010 135.5
May 2010 136.3
June 2010 137.5
July 2010 138.2
Aug. 2010 136.8
Sep. 2010 134.5
Okt. 2010 134.7
Nov. 2010 137.3
Dec. 2010 138.3
Jan. 2011 137.4
Feb. 2011 136.6
Mar. 2011 135.4
Apr. 2011 136.7
May 2011 136.4
June 2011 137.9
July 2011 136.7
Aug. 2011 136.2
Sep. 2011 136.1
Okt. 2011 137.1
Nov. 2011 139.1
Dec. 2011 141.6
Jan. 2012 143.4
Feb. 2012 144
Mar. 2012 143.8
Apr. 2012 142.7
May 2012 143.2
June 2012 142.8
July 2012 143.8
Aug. 2012 143.6
Sep. 2012 144.9
Okt. 2012 145
Nov. 2012 145.8
Dec. 2012 145.4
Jan. 2013 146.6
Feb. 2013 145.5
Mar. 2013 146.7
Apr. 2013 146
May 2013 146.2
June 2013 147.5
July 2013 150.9
Aug. 2013 153.6
Sep. 2013 153.9
Okt. 2013 152.1
Nov. 2013 151.7
Dec. 2013 151.2
Jan. 2014 150.2
Feb. 2014 151.2
Mar. 2014 150.2
Apr. 2014 152
May 2014 150.3
June 2014 149.5
July 2014 148.6
Aug. 2014 151.2
Sep. 2014 151.3
Okt. 2014 151.7
Nov. 2014 150.6
Dec. 2014 152.2
Jan. 2015 150.2
Feb. 2015 150.2
Mar. 2015 151.2
Apr. 2015 153.5
May 2015 152.1
June 2015 150.4
July 2015 148.9
Aug. 2015 148.8
Sep. 2015 147.9
Okt. 2015 147.5
Nov. 2015 144.7
Dec. 2015 143.7
Jan. 2016 141.5
Feb. 2016 140.3
Mar. 2016 138.9
Apr. 2016 138.3
May 2016 139.4
June 2016 139.2
July 2016 138.9
Aug. 2016 137.3
Sep. 2016 136.4
Okt. 2016 134.9
Nov. 2016 134.3
Dec. 2016 133.8
Jan. 2017 135.8
Feb. 2017 138
Mar. 2017 140
Apr. 2017 140.4
May 2017 138.3
June 2017 137.3
July 2017 137.2
Aug. 2017 139.6
Sep. 2017 140.6
Okt. 2017 141.6
Nov. 2017 142.6
Dec. 2017 145.8
Jan. 2018 146
Feb. 2018 145.9
Mar. 2018 144.5
Apr. 2018 146.1
May 2018 148.5
June 2018 151.4
July 2018 152.5
Aug. 2018 153
Sep. 2018 153.8
Okt. 2018 155.6
Nov. 2018 156.8
Dec. 2018 156.4
Jan. 2019 156.8
Feb. 2019 156.6
Mar. 2019 156.3

Three-month change: growth for building of ships, boats and oil platforms

Seasonally-adjusted figures show that the turnover in Norwegian manufacturing was unchanged in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the fourth quarter of 2018.

Ships, boats and oil platforms contributed the most in positive direction with an increase of 7.5 per cent in the period. Further industries that also contributed positive were:

  • Food products
  • Fabricated metal products
  • Computer and electric equipment

The industry grouping refined petroleum, chemicals and pharmaceutical products contributed the most in negative direction with its decline of 5.9 per cent in the period. 

1  The index value for period m is the average of period m, m-1 and m-2.

Figure 2. Selected industries. Seasonally adjusted. Three-month moving average¹

Food, beverages and tobacco Refined petro. chemicals, pharmac. Fabricated metal products Ships, boats and oil platforms Machinery and equipment
Jan. 2013 160.8 154.9 165.0 129.7 236.2
Feb. 2013 160.7 156.8 158.0 126.6 238.7
Mar. 2013 160.1 156.4 180.1 136.3 235.3
Apr. 2013 162.0 153.6 183.3 126.5 233.6
May 2013 165.8 149.4 190.0 134.8 240.2
June 2013 166.4 146.2 179.8 139.8 261.5
July 2013 169.3 147.2 177.7 160.7 271.0
Aug. 2013 170.0 151.1 174.8 161.3 274.6
Sep. 2013 170.5 158.5 170.9 157.3 275.3
Okt. 2013 169.9 157.0 170.8 142.0 264.8
Nov. 2013 168.3 155.9 174.9 142.7 279.0
Dec. 2013 170.2 150.6 170.0 147.1 277.0
Jan. 2014 168.1 152.4 172.5 144.1 274.1
Feb. 2014 168.4 153.1 172.1 157.5 265.1
Mar. 2014 166.0 149.4 173.8 162.4 259.1
Apr. 2014 170.6 147.5 172.7 167.4 266.5
May 2014 171.7 144.6 169.6 155.3 262.2
June 2014 172.9 142.5 168.1 150.2 266.7
July 2014 170.8 140.2 171.7 143.2 274.5
Aug. 2014 171.9 136.3 170.9 151.5 306.4
Sep. 2014 173.0 134.0 171.4 150.1 307.7
Okt. 2014 173.2 131.7 169.0 161.4 305.7
Nov. 2014 174.1 135.2 169.8 157.9 290.2
Dec. 2014 175.7 134.1 172.5 156.1 297.0
Jan. 2015 177.7 128.5 160.3 140.0 305.3
Feb. 2015 177.5 123.6 158.1 143.9 308.2
Mar. 2015 177.2 127.6 157.0 142.3 319.3
Apr. 2015 178.1 131.0 165.3 157.0 308.3
May 2015 178.6 130.9 167.2 148.2 302.2
June 2015 179.1 132.0 163.0 142.6 278.8
July 2015 178.9 132.7 158.6 135.7 270.8
Aug. 2015 180.3 129.3 157.4 134.6 259.9
Sep. 2015 180.0 131.3 152.1 133.6 256.5
Okt. 2015 181.3 133.8 152.4 121.8 256.4
Nov. 2015 182.9 137.4 146.8 109.5 242.7
Dec. 2015 185.3 131.9 151.6 113.0 236.5
Jan.2016 186.6 124.1 150.5 121.0 222.4
Feb. 2016 190.6 116.6 150.2 120.6 212.1
Mar. 2016 193.3 111.8 144.9 113.1 204.8
Apr. 2016 194.3 110.5 142.7 106.5 197.1
May 2016 192.8 113.6 140.7 113.0 189.9
June 2016 193.9 114.9 143.5 114.8 168.2
July 2016 193.9 114.8 153.5 112.0 165.0
Aug. 2016 193.6 112.8 155.3 103.7 160.2
Sep. 2016 193.4 105.5 156.6 101.3 170.6
Okt. 2016 194.6 100.8 146.5 101.5 161.9
Nov. 2016 195.8 96.5 147.2 104.8 148.7
Dec. 2016 195.6 100.9 143.1 100.3 131.7
Jan. 2017 196.3 117.6 142.6 97.9 126.6
Feb. 2017 197.4 133.2 141.1 90.9 131.2
Mar. 2017 198.7 141.5 148.5 96.9 128.5
Apr. 2017 196.4 137.6 146.4 96.5 127.5
May 2017 190.3 132.8 144.0 91.0 121.4
June 2017 186.2 130.9 143.5 83.8 123.6
July 2017 187.5 128.0 142.8 91.8 113.5
Aug. 2017 192.2 130.0 136.5 103.5 116.4
Sep. 2017 194.8 132.6 133.9 104.1 117.0
Okt. 2017 194.6 135.6 144.1 96.3 125.0
Nov. 2017 194.9 139.5 147.0 93.5 127.5
Dec. 2017 197.7 148.2 146.8 96.0 141.1
Jan. 2018 195.3 153.0 140.1 96.5 142.5
Feb. 2018 194.8 152.0 145.3 96.4 142.8
Mar. 2018 192.7 146.0 142.1 96.0 137.5
Apr. 2018 198.0 143.4 148.0 98.1 140.3
May 2018 201.3 146.5 155.4 101.7 150.0
June 2018 202.3 149.8 159.9 109.9 152.3
July 2018 202.1 155.7 154.3 107.7 153.3
Aug. 2018 201.8 153.2 154.2 104.1 150.4
Sep. 2018 201.7 164.8 156.8 102.8 147.4
Okt. 2018 201.6 167.4 161.2 113.1 148.9
Nov. 2018 200.8 170.3 161.9 121.9 160.0
Dec. 2018 201.3 160.1 162.0 122.9 169.5
Jan. 2019 203.7 155.6 164.7 121.3 178.4
Feb. 2019 203.6 152.8 166.8 128.4 176.6
Mar. 2019 203.4 150.7 171.1 132.1 171.6

Monthly change: manufacturing turnover somewhat down

Total Norwegian manufacturing turnover had a decline of 1.1 per cent from February to March 2019, according to seasonally-adjusted figures.

The most negative contribution stemmed from machinery and equipment and ships, boats and oil platforms. These two industries saw a decline of 11 and 8 per cent respectively.

The industry grouping refined petroleum, chemicals and pharmaceuticals as well as computer and electrical equipment contributed to curbing the overall negative development in turnover in manufacturing.

Monthly change: Increase in turnover in manufacturing in the euro area in February 2019

Manufacturing in the euro area increased by 0.5 per cent from January to February 2019, according to seasonally-adjusted figures. Total turnover in Norwegian manufacturing decreased by 1.1 per cent in the same period. In the Nordic countries, the turnover in Denmark and Sweden went up 0.4 and 0.1 per cent respectively according to Eurostat.

On the effect of Easter

It is important to be aware that the uncertainty for the calendar-adjusted and seasonally-adjusted indices for March and April is greater than normal due to the changed placing of Easter. This effect will also affect the seasonally-adjusted figures for the 1st and 2nd quarters. This is accounted for when adjusting for seasonal variations. However, it can still be difficult to adjust for all impacts.

Contact