In contrast to the first quarter of this year, industrial production in the German chemical industry declined from May until June according to the Verband der Chemischen Industrie e. V. (VCI; German chemical industry association). However, due to a general increase of the level of prices, sales changed only to a very small extent.
Although the general production decline with an average of 2.8 % concerned all branches, some differences remained among the sectors. The production of basic chemicals decreased by 4 % whereas the reduction of the production of special chemicals, washing agents, and personal-care products was significantly smaller. The decline is mostly attributed to the economic regression in many European countries, the main customers of the German chemical industry.
Nevertheless, the impact of this production decline on employment was negligible. Compared to the first quarter of this year, the number of employees in the chemical industry was kept constant.
Image: Chemical Production in Germany © VCI
Index 2005 = 100, seasonally adjusted, changes to previous year in %
