Norwegian manufacturing

Production in Norwegian manufacturing increased by 3.6 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012. From 2011 to 2013 there has been an increasing growth rate in manufacturing. Since 2005, production in Norwegian manufacturing has increased by about 20 percent, but with a significant decline in parts of 2008 and 2009 due to the financial crisis.

Manufacturers in 6 of the 15 manufacturing industries experienced a growth in production in 2013 compared to 2012. The growth was particularly large in production of ships, boats and oil platforms and in machinery and equipment. These accounted for most of the increase with an increase of respectively 14.5 and 14.2 percent. Also manufacturing companies in repair, installation of machinery, computer and electrical equipment, transport equipment n.e.c and fabricated metal products experienced growth, thus contributing to the industry's total production growth.

Despite production growth in a number of industries, total output growth was to a certain extent offset by production declines in several other industries. Growth in paper and paper products plummeted by 8.7 percent in 2013 compared to 2012. In addition, basic metals, wood and wood products, furniture and manufacturing n.e.c, textiles, wearing apparel and leather as well as refined petroleum products, chemical and pharmaceutical products experienced a fall in production by about 3 percent or more.

There are also large regional variations. Value added, measured by value added at factor costs, increased in Oslo and Rogaland by approximately 10 percent in 2012.1 In the opposite, Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder and Sogn og Fjordane all experienced a sharp decline in value added by 8 percent or more. When we compare production in Norwegian manufacturing with Sweden and Denmark, Norway and Denmark had a positive production growth since 2008 until today, while Sweden has experienced a steady decline in production since 2011.

When we compare Norway with the countries in the Eurozone, we see a decline in production from 2010 until the end of 2012 in the Eurozone, while Norway in the same period experience production growth. Production in Norwegian manufacturing was also less adversely affected by the financial crisis, mainly due to a generally high level of activity in the Norwegian oil and gas industry.

Other indicators also point to a general rise in the industry in 2013. Total turnover for the industry increased by 3.5 percent compared to 2012. Employment also increased in 2013, while investments remain unchanged.2