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Overall investment in Malta’s manufacturing industry during the first nine months of 2004 added up to Lm40 million, an increase of Lm3.7 million or 10.2 per cent over the Lm36.3 million registered during the same period 2003. Most of this increase was due to the Chemicals and chemical products sub-sector with a Lm4.5 million increase and the Publishing and printing sub-sector with a Lm2.3 million increase.
On the other hand, figures for the third quarter alone dropped over this year’s third quarter by Lm2.5 million to Lm9.6 million compared to Lm12.1million for the same period of the previous year.
Between July and September, total sales by the manufacturing enterprises decreased by Lm7.8 million or 2.9 per cent to Lm258.6 million from Lm266.4 million of the July - September quarter 2003. The Food sub-sector registered a drop in its sales of Lm5.6 million or 14.7 per cent to Lm32.5 million from Lm38.1 million in the previous year. Sales by the Chemicals and chemical products and the Wearing apparel and Clothes subsectors also recorded a decrease in their sales of Lm3.5 million and Lm2.8 million respectively when compared to the same period under review of 2003.
Over the course of this year’s third quarter, sales by the Medical, precision and Optical instruments manufacturing subsector increased by Lm2.6 million, whilst that for the Textiles and textile products and the Radio, TV and communication equipment sub-sectors both went up by Lm2.2 million.
During the first nine months of 2004, total manufacturing sales stood at Lm 764.5 million compared to Lm765.8 million in the same period last year.
In the third quarter this year, employment in the sampled enterprises declined by a net of 465 employees to 20,109, when compared to the same period the year before. Most of the job losses were registered in the Wearing apparel and clothes (-249 employees), the Chemicals and chemical products (-225 employees) and the Furniture and manufacturing N.E.C. (-163 employees) manufacturing sub-sectors.
An increase in employment was recorded by the Textiles and textile products (247 employees) the Rubber and plastic products (195 employees) and the Medical, precision and optical instruments (164 employees) manufacturing subsectors. When taking into account the employment at the end of June and that at the end of September 2004, a net increase of 67 employees was registered. The Rubber and plastic products and the radio, TV and communication equipment manufacturing sub-sectors contributed for most of this increase with 91 and 68 employees respectively. In the third quarter 2004 an amount of Lm30.1 million was paid out in wages and salaries by the sampled enterprises.
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