The index value for turnover in manufacturing was 173.6 (2005=100) in the period June to August 2021 compared to 168.2 in the previous three-month period according to In order to facilitate the interpretation of the short-term development, statistics on turnover publish three-month moving averages of the seasonally-adjusted figures. We normally compare the latest non-overlapping three-month periods. Seasonally-adjusted monthly changes must be interpreted with caution.. The increase in manufacturing turnover the last three-month period is fueled by higher prices and high demand from the export market.

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

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

Three-month change: fabricated metal products increases pronounced

Total Norwegian manufacturing turnover increased by 3.2 per cent from June to August 2021 compared to the previous three-month period. A wide rise in prices and a high turnover in the export market was an important factor to this growth.

Fabricated metal products and the food and beverages industry contributed the most to the increase in manufacturing turnover with an increase of 33 and 5.5 per cent respectively. The industry grouping refined petroleum, chemicals and pharmaceutical products contributed the most to curbing the positive development in the manufacturing turnover with a decline of 6.2 per cent.

Monthly change: slight decrease in manufacturing in August

Seasonally-adjusted figures show that the turnover in Norwegian manufacturing decreased by 0.3 per cent from July to August 2021 according to seasonally-adjusted figures.

The industry food products and beverages contributed the most to the negative development in manufacturing turnover with its decrease of 2.9 per cent.

Increased turnover in the industry grouping refined petroleum, chemicals and pharmaceutical products and non-ferrous metals contributed the most to curbing the decline in the manufacturing turnover in this period.

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

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

Monthly change: increase in manufacturing turnover in the euro area in July 2021

Manufacturing turnover in the euro area increased by 0.8 percent from June to July 2021, according to seasonally-adjusted figures. Total Norwegian manufacturing turnover increased by 2.0 percent in the same period. In the other Scandinavian countries, the turnover in Denmark and Sweden increased by 4.1 and 1.7 per cent respectively, according to Eurostat.

Thursday 12th of March 2020 the Norwegian government introduced actions against the spreading of the Corona-virus in Norway. Several manufacturing establishment have been affected by these measures, and this has led to a change in the activity pattern compared to what we usually observe. Hence, the seasonal adjustment routine during the Corona- crisis is done in such a way that the figures during the crisis (from March), are not included in the basis for the calculation of the seasonal pattern. Technically, in the seasonal adjustment routine this is done by specifying March and the following months as outliers.

This implies that normal trend figures will not be calculated, and instead the trend will follow the seasonal adjusted figures. One important exception is the last observation, where the trend will be an extrapolated figure where the last observation is not included. The trend figures from, and including, March 2020 will therefore be difficult to interpret.

The seasonal adjustment routine of Statics Norway is in line with the recommendations of Eurostat.