KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 10): The manufacturing sector’s sales value reached RM157.1 billion in July 2024, registering a 9.1% jump year-on-year (y-o-y) and marking the highest growth since February 2023, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

In a statement on Tuesday, chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase was primarily driven by a 16.0% double-digit growth in the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector.

“This was followed by electrical and electronics products at 8.2%, and petroleum chemical, rubber and plastic at 6.2%.

“On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, sales value grew by 0.6% from RM156.1 billion in June (up 0.8% m-o-m),” he said. 

The DOSM said export-oriented industries, which constituted 72.3% of total sales value, stayed robust, with a 9.4% y-o-y growth in July after registering 6.0% in the preceding month. 

It said the better performance was attributable to an increase in the manufacture of computer, electronics and optical products (9.1%), the manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats (23.5%), and the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (4.8%).

For an m-o-m comparison, however, the DOSM said sales value of export-oriented industries dropped marginally by 0.5%.

Meanwhile, the department said domestic-oriented industries strengthened by 8.4% y-o-y in July, mainly influenced by the manufacture of food processing products (up 7.0%).

The manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers rebounded to a growth of 6.2%, from a decline of 5.2% in the preceding month. 

For an m-o-m comparison, the DOSM said sales value of domestic-oriented industries turned upward by 3.7%, reversing a declining trend since April.

“There were 2.37 million employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in July, an increase of 1.3% y-o-y (June: 1.0%).

“The growth was predominantly attributed to food, beverages and tobacco (4.0%), non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (2.3%), and wood, furniture, paper products and printing (1.2%),” the department said. 

The DOSM said the number of employees in the manufacturing sector declined slightly by 0.01% in July, compared with 0.3% in the preceding month. 

In the meantime, salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector rose by 2.4%, reaching a total of RM8.12 billion, resulting in an increase in average monthly salaries and wages per employee by 1.2% y-o-y to RM3,429. 

Simultaneously, Mohd Uzir said sales value per employee rose by 7.8% to a record RM66,285, compared with RM65,874 in June.

“For the first seven months of this year, the manufacturing sector’s cumulative sales value reached RM1,078.6 billion, an increase of 4.5% y-o-y,” he added.

Mohd Uzir said the number of employees increased by 1.3% to 2.37 million persons, while salaries and wages grew by 1.5% to RM57.4 billion.

“Sales value per employee stood at RM455,213, posting a growth of 3.2%,” he added.

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