German Output Declined 4.6% in December

Feb. 6, 2009
Machine tool production fell 8.2%

German industrial output fell much more than expected in December, economy ministry figures showed on Feb. 7, while orders data a day earlier indicated the decline will persist well into 2009. Output by German companies declined by 4.6% from November, much worse than an average analyst forecast of a 3%.

On a 12-month basis, output declined by 7.5% in December.

A traditional strong point of the German economy, machine tool production, was among the sectors that showed the biggest decline. Output of intermediate goods, machines used to make other products, dropped by 8.2% on a monthly basis, while that of investment goods was off by 4.9%.

"In light of continued strong decline of demand for industrial products, one should expect the weak trend to continue in the coming months," a ministry statement said.

On Thursday, ministry figures for industrial orders showed they had fallen by 6.9% in December from the previous month, more than twice the forecast level.

For the full year 2008, orders for good from Germany, the world's leading exporter, plunged by 25.1% as the global economic slowdown slammed its main trading partners.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!