Turnover in retail trade increased 12.4% in last quarter 2012

During the fourth quarter of 2012 turnover in selected activities decreased by 1.2 per cent. Turnover in wholesale and retail trade increased by 0.1 and 12.4 per cent respectively, while turnover in transportation and storage, accommodation and food services activities and information and communication fell by 12.8, 0.6 and 4.2 per cent respectively.

The information was issued today by the National Statistics Office.

While seasonally adjusted employment remained stable, gross wages and salaries increased by 0.5 per cent, hours worked decreased by 2.2 per cent.

Working day adjusted turnover for the fourth quarter of 2012 went up by 4.3 per cent on the corresponding quarter of 2011, mainly due to a rise of 10.0 and 3.8 per cent in wholesale and retail trade respectively. Furthermore, accommodation and food services activities advanced by 4.0 per cent. On the other hand, the transportation and storage, and information and communication sectors mitigated these increases with declines of 2.4 and 7.9 per cent respectively.

Employment in selected services activities edged up by 0.4 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter of 2011. This was mainly due to increases of 1.6, 2.7 and 0.6 per cent in wholesale trade, accommodation and food services activities and the information and communication sector. On the other hand, employment in retail trade and transportation and storage decreased by 0.3 and 2.2 per cent respectively.

When compared to the corresponding quarter of 2011, working day adjusted wages and salaries and hours worked went up by 3.4 and 0.1 per cent respectively.