KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew by 5.7% in March 2019 to RM72.4bil compared with RM68.5bil a year ago while the number of workers and the salaries and wages paid also increased, the Statistics Department said.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said on Friday that on month-on-month growth, sales value rose by 10.1%  (RM6.6bil) while on a seasonally adjusted terms, the sales value registered a decrease of 1.7%.

“The year-on-year growth registered in sales value in March 2019 was driven by the increase in food, beverages and tobacco products (8.8%), petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (8.4%) and transport equipment and other manufactures products (7.5%),” he said.

Mohd Uzir said total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in March was 1,087,760 persons, up by 1.8% or 19,644 persons compared with 1,068,116 persons a year ago.

Salaries & wages paid amounted to RM4.06bil, up 5.1% or RM197.1mil in March 2019 from a year ago.

Sales value per employee grew by 3.8% to RM66,539 on-year.  The average salaries & wages per employee was RM3,733 in March.

In the first quarter,  sales value of the manufacturing sector rose by 6.1% to RM210.6bil on-year.

According to the department there was a 1.8% increase in the number of employees engaged in Q1 to 1,087,760 persons.

Salaries & wages paid recorded a 7% increase to RM12.2bil. Sales value per employee rose by 4.1% to record RM193,615.