Pace of manufacturing decline slowing: StatsCan

The outlook for the economy improved as manufacturing sales edged down 0.1 percent to $41.0 billion in April, according to Statistics Canada’s Monthly Survey of Manufacturing.

Manufacturing sales levelled off between February and April, after falling by 18.7 percent between October 2008 and January 2009. Sizeable gains in the transportation equipment industry were offset by weakness in other industries. Excluding the transportation equipment industry, manufacturing sales decreased by 2.8 percent.

Although manufacturing sales remaining largely unchanged in April, sales decreased in 16 of 21 manufacturing industries. The weaknesses were offset by a 16.4-percent gain in the transportation equipment industry. Production in the aerospace industry increased by $714 million in April, following a $626 million decline in March. Motor vehicle parts manufacturers also reported a 19.4-percent sales gain, reversing most of the 20.5-percent drop in March.

Fabricated metal products (–8.0 percent), miscellaneous manufacturers (–5.6 percent), and machinery manufacturers (–2.7 percent) were industries with large sales declines in April.

www.statcan.gc.ca