Figures show slowdown in industrial production

The continued slowdown in economic activity was further illustrated today with new figures pointing to a fall-off in industrial production.

In the three months to end November 2001, the volume of industrial production is estimated to have fallen 2.9 per cent, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office.

The annual decrease for November was 6.3 per cent, compared with 4.2 per cent in October.

Production of consumer goods increased by 8.3 per cent while a decrease of 15.2 per cent was recorded for capital goods.

The sharpest increase was in "reproduction of recorded media", where production rose by 20.8 per cent in the period.

The sharpest decrease was in "radio, television and communication equipment and apparatus", where production fell by 34.1 per cent in the period.