Structural business statistics for manufacturing, mining and quarrying, 2008, final figures

2008 was the year when the financial crisis started. Seasonally adjusted figures from the Index of production show growth in the first six months of the year, but a decline in demand because of the financial crisis resulted in a reduction in the second half year. However, the final structural data for manufacturing, mining and quarrying still shows an increase in value added (at factor prices) of NOK 9.5 billion, up to NOK 202.7 billion, as the growth in the cost of goods and services consumed was smaller than the growth in production value.

A good year for mining and quarrying

Production value for mining and quarrying increased by NOK 1.7 billion from 2007 to 2008; 14 per cent. Value added had an upsurge of NOK 5.3 billion; 24.2 per cent. The high coal prices contributed to this (see Industry statistics for Svalbard ).

And a good year for machinery and equipment

Total value added at factor prices for the manufacturing industries was NOK 197.4 billion; an increase of 4.4 per cent compared to 2007. A very good year for some industries contributed to a large extent to the growth in value added. One of these was the manufacture of machinery and equipment, where value added rose by 25.7 per cent (NOK 4.2 billion). It was also a good year for the building of ships, boats and oil-platforms, where value added rose by NOK 3.2 billion (16.7 per cent). The level of total stocks for manufacturers working on new orders was still high, and this together with deliveries to the oil and gas exploration industry contributed to the increase (see Statistics on new orders and Index of production ).

Manufacture of basic metals experienced the largest fall in production value, down NOK 8.8 billion (10.9 per cent). Despite this, value added rose by 8.9 per cent, as the decline in costs of goods and services consumed was greater (down NOK 10.2 billion).

Lower value added for some industries

Value added fell for some industries in 2008. The largest falls were within the manufacture of paper and paper products (down 17.4 per cent) and the manufacture of furniture and other manufacturing (down 15 per cent). Manufacture of wood and wood products also experienced a decline (down 13.2 per cent), which is related to lower building activity in Norway in 2008.

Highest manufacturing employment in Rogaland

The number of employees within manufacturing, mining and quarrying went up by 1.6 per cent from 2007 to 2008, and reached 262 555 persons employed. Manufacture of food, beverages and tobacco is the industry that employs the most (45 595 persons), while Rogaland is the county that employs the most (12.3 per cent of total employment within manufacturing, mining and quarrying).

Compensation of employees rose by 7.3 per cent (NOK 9.2 billion), and the increase was highest for the manufacture of machinery and equipment, manufacture of metal products and ships, boats and oil-platforms. Compensation of employees is not included in the cost of goods and services consumed.

Large investments

Gross investments amounted to NOK 33.5 billion in 2008, a historically high level (see also Quarterly investment statistics ). More than a third of the year’s investments took place within the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, manufacture of chemicals and chemical products, manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations.

The largest reduction in investments was within the manufacture of rubber, plastic and mineral products (down 51 per cent). This is caused mainly by the completion of a large project within the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products in 2007.

Enterprise figures for manufacturing, mining and quarrying

Final figures show that there were approximately 18 300 enterprises within manufacturing, mining and quarrying in 2008. Together these employed 263 139 persons, and employment at enterprise level grew by 1.8 per cent compared to 2007. The production value amounted to NOK 709.9 billion, up 4.9 per cent. Value added increased by 4.3 per cent, up to NOK 198.8 billion.

Tables:

• Table 1 Mining, quarrying and manufacturing. Principal figures for local kind of activity units. 1972-2008
• Table 2 Mining, quarrying and manufacturing. Principal figures for local kind of activity units, by industry division. 2007-2008
• Table 3 Mining, quarrying and manufacturing. Principal figures for enterprises, by industry division. 2007-2008
• Table 4 Mining, quarrying and manufacturing. Principal figures for local kind of activity units, by industry division and employment group. 2008
• Table 5 Mining, quarrying and manufacturing. Principal figures for enterprises, by industry division and employment group. 2008
• Table 6 Mining, quarrying and manufacturing. Persons employed and value added for local kind of activity units, by county. 2007-2008
• Table 7 Principal figures for local kind of activity unit, by industry, SIC2007. 2007-2008
• Table 8 Principal figures for local kind of activity unit, by industry, SIC2002. 2007-2008