KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew 15.3% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM126.9 billion in March 2021, the highest growth in 44 months, said the Statistics Department.
On a monthly basis, the sales value increased by 7.2%, according to chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin.
“The y-o-y increase of 15.3% was the highest after 44 months, driven by transport equipment and other manufactured products (34.2%), electrical and electronics products (17%) and food, beverages and tobacco products (14.9%),” he said in a statement.
Uzir said the total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in March 2021 was 2,233,545 persons, a decrease of 1.1% as compared with 2,257,273 persons in March 2020.
The salaries and wages paid amounted to RM7.51 billion, an increase of 0.8% or RM58.3 million in March 2021 as against the same month of the preceding year.
Simultaneously, the sales value per employee rose by 16.5% to RM56,831 as compared with the same month in 2020.
Meanwhile, the average salaries and wages per employee was RM3,364 in March 2021.
“In the first quarter of 2021, the sales value registered an increase of 8.5% to RM368.2 billion as compared to the same period of 2020,” he said.
The number of employees engaged during the period declined by 1.1% to 2,233,545 persons, while salaries and wages paid decreased by 0.6% to RM22.6 billion.
The sales value per employee during the reference period rose by 9.7% to RM164,865. – Bernama, May 6, 2021
