Key industries register increase in turnover index

TIRANA, Sept. 1 – Short-term business statistics published by INSTAT for the second quarter of 2013 show the turnover index in industry, construction, trade and other services grew by 4.1 percent year-on-year and was up by 13.9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2013. Employment in these sectors rose by an average of 6.2 percent while salaries were up by 6.5 percent compared to the second quarter of last year.
The deflated turnover index in the industry sector fell by 0.4 percent year-on-year but was up by 2.7 percent compared to the first quarter of 2013. Employment in this sector which accounts for 10 percent of the GDP and is dominated by manufacturing rose by 4.8 percent year-on-year while salaries rose by 13.4 percent.
The construction sector, in crisis since 2007, registered a 24 percent increase in its turnover index year-on-year, but cut 3.1 percent of its staff and reduced salaries by 7.3 percent.
In the wholesale trade, the turnover index dropped by 1.1 percent year-on-year. The number of employees grew by 11.2 percent and wages were raised by 2.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2012.
Hotels saw their turnover index drop by 10.3 percent year on-year. Hotels increased their staff by only 1 percent while wages were reduced by around 1.4 percent year-on-year.
In the transport sector, the turnover index in the second quarter of 2013 registered increases in the railway, maritime and air transport but dropped for travel agencies.