The other business activities sector registered a decrease in its turnover index of 25.6 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2005, when compared with the same quarter in 2004, from 94.2 to 70.1, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

The supporting and auxiliary transport and the land transport also recorded a decrease in their turnover index of 17.3 per cent and 13.5 per cent respectively when compared to the same period under review of 2004.

In the course of the fourth quarter this year, the turnover index of the hotels and restaurants increased by 25.1 per cent. The air transport sector index increased from 81.1 in 2004 to 99.9 in 2005 – an increase of 23.2 per cent. The computer and related activities sector registered an increase of 21 per cent, in its turnover index.

In the fourth quarter this year, most of the job losses were registered in the other business activities, the fall in the employment index was of 14 per cent. The retail trade employment index decreased by 12.8 per cent, from 97.5 in Q4 2004 to 85 in Q4 2005. The hotels and restaurants sector registered a fall of 4.7 per cent, for the same period under review.

An increase in employment was registered in the wholesale trade sector, where the index increased from 116.1 in 2004 to 128.3 in 2005, an increase of 10.5 per cent.

Increases where also registered in the computer and related activities and in the supporting and auxiliary transport, where the employment index increased by 7.5 per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively.

The sectors that registered the highest decrease in the gross wages and salaries index were the retail trade (18.8 per cent), the land transport (5.5 per cent) and the other business activities (1.7 per cent) sectors.

In Q4 2005, increases in the gross wages and salaries were recorded in the water transport (16.1 per cent), the computer and related activities (14.3 per cent) and the post and telecommunications (12.3 per cent).

For the period under review, the most significant decreases in the hours worked index were registered in the other business activities, the retail trade and the water transport. The falls were of 17.6 per cent, 13.4 per cent and 4.3 per cent respectively.

The sector that registered the most significant increase in the hours worked index is the supporting and auxiliary transport, that went up from 114.7 to 120.2, an increase of 4.8 per cent.

The computer and related activities and the hotels and restaurants sector also recorded an increase of 4.7 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively.