This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at El sector del metal se resiente de la conyuntura económica
The metal sector suffers from the economic conjuncture
01/11/2001
According to a report prepared by the Association Confemetal, the metalworking sector has moderate this year its growth in response to symptoms of weakness experienced by domestic demand in Spain. However, the same Association says in a press release that this fall in domestic demand is compensated for the time being, by the development of exports.
Of the data that facilitates Confemetal can affirm that this year it will not be so favourable like the previous for the sector metalmecánico. According to the report of Conyuntura Econónima and Labour of Confemetal the growth of the sector is ralentizando.
This moderation in growth has occurred especially during first quarter of this year and affects both the indicator of activity (ICM), and the creation of employment. It has not been the case of foreign trade, as exports have experienced a favourable evolution which, together with a discreet increase of imports, has resulted in a decrease in the trade deficit of 4.6 per cent this year.
Slight slowdown
The evolution of the composite indicator of Metal (ICM) has recorded a slight decrease of 0.1% in the first quarter of this year. However, in the month of April the evolution is more favourable (with a growth of 1.1% over the same month of the previous year).
With regard to employment, the number of occupied has increased 2.2%, rather less than in previous quarters. The number of occupied in the industries of the metal reached the figure of 1.038.800 workers in the first quarter of 2001, according to data from the survey of population (LFS).
Although in absolute terms the number of employees has increased in 22,300 compared to the first quarter of 2000, in general the trend in the rate of growth of employment has gone down.
The positive development is the increase in exports, with a discreet increase of imports, has resulted in a decrease in the trade deficit of 4.6 per cent.
Despite this moderation of the growth that has taken place during the first quarter of this year, the forecast for the second quarter are quite more optimistic, according to the survey of conjuncture of metal made by Confemetal among its partners.
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Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales del Metal
