KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Malaysia’s manufacturing sales grew 15.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM126.9 billion in March 2021, the highest growth in 44 months, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).

On a monthly basis, the sales value increased by 7.2 per cent, according to chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

“The year-on-year increase of 15.3 per cent was the highest after 44 months, driven by transport equipment and other manufactures products (34.2 per cent), electrical and electronics products (17.0 per cent) and food, beverages and tobacco products (14.9 per cent),” he said in a statement.

Mohd Uzir said the total employees engaged in the manufacturing sector in March 2021 numbered 2,233,545 persons, a decrease of 1.1 per cent as compared to 2,257,273 persons in March 2020.

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The salaries and wages paid amounted to RM7.51 billion, an increase of 0.8 per cent or RM58.3 million in March 2021 as against the same month of the preceding year.

Simultaneously, the sales value per employee rose by 16.5 per cent to RM56,831 as compared with the same month in 2020.

Meanwhile, the average salaries and wages per employee was RM3,364 in March 2021.

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“In the first quarter of 2021, the sales value registered an increase of 8.5 per cent to RM368.2 billion as compared to the same period of 2020,” he said.

The number of employees engaged during the period declined by 1.1 per cent to 2,233,545 persons while salaries and wages paid decreased by 0.6 per cent to RM22.6 billion.

The sales value per employee during the reference period rose by 9.7 per cent to RM164,865. — Bernama