Hungary’s industrial output rose an unadjusted 1pc and was down a workday-adjusted 1.4pc in the twelve months to December 2009, unchanged from a first reading, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Monday. Unadjusted output rose yr/yr for the first time since September 2008, and the adjusted twelve-month drop slowed sharply further from November, to a large part on base effects.
Full-year output dropped 17.7pc in 2009 after no change in 2008. The annual output contraction was the steepest since 18.4pc in 1991. The figure is unchanged from the preliminary one reported on February 5.
In a seasonally- and calendar-adjusted month-on-month comparison, industrial output fell 5.8pc in December, slightly more than a 5.7pc decline in the first reading. The December drop was the steepest monthly drop registered in 2009.
Export sales grew 5.4pc in the twelve months to December according to unadjusted figures, the first rise since September 2008, and domestic sales fell 9.9pc. In an adjusted monthly comparison, exports fell 4.6pc and domestic sales fell 3.9pc from November.
2009 exports contracted 18.7pc and domestic sales fell 12.6pc last year, KSH said. In 2008, export sales rose a slight 0.1pc and domestic sales fell 0.6pc.
Output per head declined 7.1pc in 2009 from the previous year as employment fell 11.5pc in the period, KSH said based on data from business employing at least five people.