by AUFA MARDHIAH

MALAYSIAN manufacturing sales continued to record double-digit growth of 13.2% with RM147.9 billion in April 2022. In addition, sales value also grew by 2.3% over the previous month.

Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said that the growth in sales value for April 2022 was driven by several sectors — electrical and electronics products (E&E) subsector went up by 21.9% (especially in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products industries); food, beverages and tobacco products subsector went up by 14.9% and petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products subsector went up by 6.7% (mainly in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products industries).

Meanwhile, the sales value for export-oriented industries (72.4%) of total sales value grew by 14.5%, while domestic-oriented industries grew by 10% in April 2022 compared to the same month in 2021.

The growth value of sales value for export-oriented industries is on-trend the same with foreign trade exports and price factors that remain favourable. On a month-on-month basis, export-oriented and domestic-oriented industries increased by 2.6% and 1.6% respectively.

“The total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in April 2022 grew by 2.5% to 2,291,470 persons, compared to 2,235,004 persons in April 2021. The increase was contributed by the E&E (5.2%); transport equipment and other manufactured products (3%) and wood, furniture, paper products and printing (2.7%).

The report stated that salaries and wages paid increased by 4.5% or RM329.2 million and amounted to RM7,714.8 million in April 2022 against the same month of the preceding year.

Furthermore, the sales value per employee also increased by 10.4% and recorded RM64,562 against RM58,454 in April 2021. Meanwhile, the average salaries and wages per employee was RM3,367 in April 2022.

From January to April 2022, the sales value of the manufacturing sector increased 12.9% to RM563.2 billion compared to the same period in 2021. The number of employees grew by 2.5% to 2.29 million persons; while salaries and wages grew 4.2% to RM31.2 billion. Sales value per employee for the first four months of 2022 rose 10.1% to record RM245,799,” he said in a statement today.

DoSM is conducting a few surveys and would appreciate the cooperation of selected respondents — the Household Income, Expenditure and Basic Amenities Survey 2022 from Jan 1, 2022, to Dec 31, 2022; and the Annual Economic Survey 2022 from April 15-Sept 30, 2022. For more information visit www.dosm.gov.my.