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Malaysia: Manufacturing sales up 12.9% to RM158.9bil in October

KUALA LUMPUR: The manufacturing sector recorded RM158.9 billion in sales in October 2022, an increase of 12.9 per cent year-on-year, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the double-digit growth in sales value for October 2022 was largely driven by the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products subsector (23.8 per cent).

The growth was also attributed to the electrical and electronics products (16.6 per cent) and food, beverages and tobacco products (4.6 per cent) subsectors.

Mohd Uzir said the manufacturing sector employed 2.32 million persons in October, up 3.6 per cent from 2.24 million persons in the same month last year.

“The increment was contributed by the electrical and electronic products (which increased 5.6 per cent); food, beverages and tobacco products (4.3 per cent); and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (2.0 per cent) subsectors,” he said in a statement today.

DOSM said salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector grew 4.8 per cent to RM7.88 billion in line with the growth of the number of employees.

The department said sales value per employee rose by 9.0 per cent to RM68,441 compared to a year earlier.

“The average salary or wages per employee was RM3,395,” it added.

From January to October 2022, the manufacturing sector’s sales value increased 17.1 per cent to RM1.49 trillion compared to the same period last year, DOSM said.

“Meantime, the number of employees went up 3.6 per cent to record 2.32 million persons, with salaries and wages expanding 5.3 per cent to RM78.1 billion.

“During the period, sales value per employee amounted to RM639,852 with a growth of 13.0 per cent year-on-year,” it said. – Bernama