Industrial turnover went up by 5.7 per cent last December over the same month of the previous year, the National Statistics Office reported yesterday. The growth was driven mainly by the Capital Goods and the Consumer Durables Goods industrial groupings.

Employment in industry is estimated to have increased by 12.4 per cent in December 2006 on an annual basis. This reflected increases in the Capital Goods, Consumer Non-Durables and Intermediate Goods groupings, contrasted by lower employment in the Consumer Goods grouping.

Gross wages and salaries in industry went up by six per cent from December 2005 to December 2006, reflecting increases in all major industrial groupings except in the Consumer Durables.

Hours worked increased by 10.2 per cent in December 2006, underpinned by increases in the Capital Goods and Intermediate Goods groupings. The Consumer Non-durables, Energy and Consumer Durables registered a decrease.