KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew 11.6% in September 2021 to RM135.3 billion as compared to the same month in 2020, said the Statistics Department (DOSM).
Sales value increased by 6.9% against the previous month, driven by the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products subsector (29.2%) especially in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products industries.
“The expansion was also attributed to the food, beverages and tobacco subsector (12.0%) supported by the manufacture of food products industries, as well as the electrical and electronics (E&E) products subsector (10.8%) mainly in the manufacture of computer, optical and electronics products,” chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement today.
Sales value for export-oriented industries which accounted for 74.0% of total sales value recorded an increase of 15.9% (RM100.2 billion) while domestic-oriented industries posted an increment of 1.1% in September 2021 as compared to the same month in 2020.
According to DOSM, the growth in sales value for export-oriented industries was in line with the double-digit growth in external trade exports and the price factors that remain favourable.
On a month-on-month comparison, export and domestic-oriented industries recorded positive growth of 5.2% and 12.3% respectively.
Mohd Uzir added that the total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in September 2021 was 2.23 million persons, up 1.6% from 2.19 million persons in September 2020.
The increase was contributed by the E&E Products (4.5%), petroleum, chemical, rubber & plastic products (1.3%), and wood, furniture, paper products & printing (1.5%).
The report also stated that salaries and wages paid amounted to RM7.48 billion, an increase of 3.6% or RM261.8 million in September 2021 as against the same month of the preceding year.
“In the third quarter 2021 (Q3 2021), the sales value of the manufacturing sector grew 6.4% to RM381.8 billion as compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
The increase was driven by petroleum, chemical, rubber & plastics products (34.2%), food, beverages and tobacco products (8.8%), and E&E products (2.9%).
The number of employees and salaries and wages rose 1.6% and 2.3% respectively in Q3 2021.
From the January to September 2021 period, the sales value of the manufacturing sector increased by 15.1% to RM1.13 trillion as compared to the same period in 2020.
The number of employees and salaries and wages recorded a growth of 1.6% and 2.5% to 2.23 million persons and RM66.6 billion, respectively.
Sales value per employee for the first nine months of 2021 also grew 13.2% to RM505,404. – Bernama, November 9, 2021
