KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Malaysia’s manufacturing sales in August 2021 grew 6.8 per cent to RM126.5 billion compared to the same month in 2020, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

It said that compared with June 2021, the sales value increased by 5.5 per cent, influenced by the opening of more economic sectors in line with the transition phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth in sales value for August 2021 was driven by the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products subsector (31.4 per cent), especially in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products industries.

"The expansion was also attributed by the food, beverages and tobacco subsector (7.0 per cent) supported by the manufacture of food products industries as well as the electrical and electronics products subsector (6.9 per cent) mainly in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products industries,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Uzir noted that sales value for export-oriented industries, which accounted for 75.3 per cent of total sales value, also recorded an increase of 14.3 per cent (RM95.2 billion) while domestic-oriented industries posted a decline of 10.8 per cent in August 2021 as compared to the same month in 2020.

"The growth in sales value for export-oriented industries was in line with the double-digit growth registered in external trade exports and the price factors that remained favourable.

"On a month-on-month comparison, export and domestic-oriented industries recorded positive growth rates of 3.5 per cent and 12.2 per cent, respectively,” he said.

There was a total of 2.21 million employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in August 2021, an increase of one per cent, compared to 2.19 million in August 2020, the statement said. 

The increase was contributed by employees in electrical and electronic products sector (4.3 per cent) and petroleum, chemical, rubber, and plastics products sectors (1.8 per cent), said the chief statistician.

Salaries and wages paid in August 2021 amounted to RM7.23 billion, an increase of 1.7 per cent or RM117.5 million against the same month of the preceding year, with the average salary per employee being RM3,266 in August 2021.

Meanwhile, he said the sales value per employee increased by 5.7 per cent to RM57,160 compared with the same month in 2020 (August 2020: RM54,066).

He added that for the January to August 2021 period, the sales value of the manufacturing sector increased by 15.5 per cent to RM992.4 billion as compared to the same period in 2020.

"The number of employees, salaries and wages recorded a growth of 1.0 per cent and 2.3 per cent, respectively, increasing by 2.21 million persons and RM59.2 billion in salaries and wages.

"Sales value per employee for the first eight months of 2021 also grew 14.3 per cent to record RM448,314,” he said. — Bernama