December 2020 manufacturing sales rise 4.5%; highest growth since March 2020 — DOSM

December 2020 manufacturing sales rise 4.5%; highest growth since March 2020 — DOSM

08 Feb 2021

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8): Manufacturing sales grew 4.5% to RM124.6 billion in December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, the highest growth since March 2020, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the year-on-year increase in December 2020 was driven by transport equipment and other manufacturing products (20.5%), food, beverages and tobacco products (7.9%), and electrical and electronics products (4.2%).

“On a monthly basis, the sales value rose by 3.9% from November 2020,” he said in a statement in conjunction with the release of the department’s monthly manufacturing statistics for December 2020 on Monday.

However, Mohd Uzir said the total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in December 2020 was 2.19 million persons, a decrease of 2% compared with 2.24 million persons in December 2019.

The content of the report also stated that salaries and wages paid amounted to RM7,770.7 million, a decrease of 0.8% or RM59.7 million in December 2020 versus the same month of the preceding year.

“Simultaneously, the sales value per employee rose by 6.7% to record RM56,644 compared to the same month in 2019.

“Meanwhile, the average salaries and wages per employee was RM3,533 in December 2020,” he said.

In summary for 2020, Mohd Uzir said the sales value of the manufacturing sector registered a decrease of 2.1% to RM1,346.6 billion compared with the same period of 2019.

“The number of employees engaged during the period declined by 2% to 2,199,195 persons while salaries and wages paid decreased by 1.1% to RM87.2 billion.

“The sales value per employee during the reference period contracted by 0.2% to RM612,324,” he added.  

Source: Bernama