CBS: industrial production in first half, up annual 4.7%

The Central Bureau of Statistics ( CBS ) reported last week that industrial output in the first half of 2005 grew by a seasonally adjusted annualized 4.7%, compared with the first half of 2004.
 
The CBS noted, however, that despite rapid growth in the first half of 2005, activity by industrial companies was rather stagnant.
 
Industrial output for the first quarter was 0.8% higher than for the fourth quarter of 2004. However, trend figures for the second quarter of 2005 indicate only 1.2% growth in industrial output, compared with the first quarter.
 
The Central Bureau of Statistics pointed out that seasonally adjusted figures showed a negative downturn: industrial output fell by 1.8% in June, and by 2% in two months, after rising by 3.1% in January-April 2005.
 
The CBS also pointed out that unemployment dropped during the second quarter to nine percent, from 9.1 recorded in the previous quarter. The percentage of male unemployed also dropped from 8.5 to 8.3 percent, while female unemployment remained steady at 9.9 percent. During this time, 247,000 jobseekers were registered in Israel.
 
60.5 percent of men were employed by the private sector (a drop of 0.1 percent), as opposed to 50.3 of women (last quarter, 49.6 percent). During the second quarter, 2.491 million Israelis were employed as opposed to 2.457 million in the first quarter - a jump of 1.4 percent, and an increase of 3.7 percent over the same period last year.