The business tendency survey for the 2nd quarter of 2022 still shows growth in total output, but the growth rate is lower than in the 1st quarter. The producers of Covers industries such as machinery and equipment, ships, boats and oil platforms, repair and installation. Often referred to as the engineering industry and Covers industries such as wood and wood products, paper and paper products, basic chemicals and basic metals. Often referred to as traditional export industries.] are experiencing a clear increase in production while the growth among producers of Covers industries such as food products and beverages, printing and reproduction, pharmaceuticals and furniture.] is more moderate. There are still some of the industrial leaders who report that lack of access to skilled labor, raw materials and other input factors have limited production volume in the 1st quarter (see figure 6). Lack of raw materials and input factors are still linked to logistics challenges in the world market, this is a problem that has been exacerbated by corona shutdowns in China and the war in Ukraine.
Industrial leaders report growth in total industrial employment in the 2nd quarter compared with the 1st quarter, and employment growth is solid in all types of goods, but the growth is lowest for producers of consumer goods.
Flattening in new orders from the export market
The total stock of orders in manufacturing shows a clear growth in the 2nd quarter. Growth in stock of orders are reported by producers of all types of goods.
At the same time, industry leaders are now reporting zero growth in new orders from the export market. While there is still a small growth for producers of capital goods and consumer goods, there is now a slight decline in new orders from the export market for producers of intermediate goods. Flattening in new orders from the export market may be related to the fact that strong product price inflation dampens demand for many of these products. The industrial leaders still report growth in new orders from the domestic market, but the growth is lower than in the 1st quarter.
Industrial managers are reporting significant growth in the prices, both in domestic and export market for overall manufacturing in the 2nd quarter. Price growth is reported for all types of goods in both markets. For producers of intermediate goods, the growth in prices is particularly strong. Producers of intermediate goods are largely export-oriented. The levels of the diffusion indexes for export and domestic prices are the highest measured since this survey began in 1990.
A large proportion of industrial managers report increasing growth in the development in the prices that the company pays for the goods and services that are included in the production (product input), and on the prices of production equipment and facilities used in the production process.] in the 2nd quarter. The level of the diffusion index for input prices is the highest measured since the first survey in the fourth quarter of 2011. It is producers of consumer goods who have the highest growth in input prices. Overall, stronger growth in cost prices than in product prices was reported. This substantiates that there are reports of declining the development in the profitability of the company's sales of goods or services. Profitability means the change in the difference between current operating expenses and current operating revenues.] in manufacturing, as a whole in the 2nd quarter. (see box at the bottom of the article)
Subdued optimism for the 3rd quarter of 2022
The general outlook for the 3rd quarter of 2022 is positive. But the proportion with an optimistic view for the coming quarter is lower than in the previous survey. It is producers of capital goods who have the most optimistic view related to the coming quarter, while producers of intermediate goods now have a negative view of the next quarter.
The industrial leaders report that the total production volume is expected to grow during the 3rd quarter compared with the 2nd quarter. Employment growth is also expected in the coming quarter. It is reported that new orders from both the domestic and export markets will increase, and further growth in the total stock order is also expected. The strength of the expected growth for the various indicators is generally lower for the 3rd quarter now than it was for the same indicators for the 2nd quarter in the previous survey. It is also the case that the growth expectations for the 3rd quarter are strongest for producers of capital goods, while they are lower for producers of consumer goods and especially intermediate goods. Producers of all product types also expect that prices for both intermediate goods and products for sale will increase further in the 3rd quarter.
Industry leaders reported that adopted investment plans are marginally adjusted upwards for manufacturing, but the growth rate is lower than what it was at the end of the 1st quarter. In the survey of 3rd quarter of 2021, a new statistics table (see box at the bottom of the article) was introduced. This table shows the development in which factors the managers state as limiting the investments. In recent quarters, a lower proportion of industrial managers state that expected developments in demand limit the investments. At the same time, an increasing proportion of industrial managers state that the The prices of the investment goods (production equipment and facilities used in the production process) that the company purchases are so high that it limits the implementation of planned investments .] constitute a limiting factor in the investments.
The industrial confidence indicator signals lower growth in the 3rd quarter
This is the average of the responses (balances) to the questions on expected volume of production, total stock of orders and inventories of own products for sale (the latter with an inverted sign). See Definitions in ‘About the statistics’ for further details.] in the 2nd quarter of 2022 was 3.2 (Figures that are adjusted for calendar effects and seasonal variation. Such adjustment gives a more accurate picture of the underlying trend in the time series and makes it easier to compare the results of subsequent quarters.] ) which is a decrease from 8.2 from the previous quarter. The indicator is now at the same level as the historical average of 3.2 and thus indicates production growth for the 3rd quarter is in line with long-term trend growth.
The industrial confidence indicator indicates growth within all product types, but the outlook for growth is clearest in capital goods, while the indicator only slightly indicates growth in intermediate goods.
Values above zero indicate that total output will grow in the forthcoming quarter, while values below zero indicate that total output will fall. International comparisons of the industrial confidence indicator are available from Eurostat (EU), The Swedish National Institute of Economic Research and Statistics Denmark.
Access to raw materials limits production
There are still a high proportion of industry leaders who highlight that the lack of qualified labor and supply of raw materials and/or electric power are factors that contributed to limiting production in the 2nd quarter of 2022. At the same time, a low proportion of industry leaders point out that weak demand and strong competition have limited production, but the proportion is slightly higher than it was in the previous survey. The sum of percentages for those who have reported that lack of qualified labour and raw materials/electric power limits production, plus the percentage of establishments with capacity utilisation above 95 per cent. is still high but is somewhat lower than it was in the previous survey.
The figure shows that in recent quarters there has been an increasing proportion of industrial leaders who point out that the lack of qualified labor and access to raw materials and / or electric power are factors that contribute to limiting production. At the same time, in the same period, there has been an ever lower proportion of industrial leaders who point out that weak demand and strong competition have limited production.
The average How much of the available production capacity is utilised. A high capacity utilisation means that it is difficult to produce more without investing, while a low capacity utilisation means having capacity that is not being used.] for Norwegian manufacturing was calculated to 81.0 per cent at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2022. This is marginally lower than at the end of the 1st quarter, but it is still above the historical average of 80.0 per cent. International comparisons of average capacity utilisation are available from Eurostat (EU).
Timelines
The survey data was collected in the period from 9 June to 19 July 2022.
As of this publication, new indicators are introduced in the statistics. The indicator «Cost prices» and «Profitability» for actual and expected changes in the next quarter are published in the table «08264: Business tendency survey. Tendencies» Cost prices measure the development in the prices that the company pays for the goods and services that are included in the production of the final item (raw material). As well as on the prices of the capital goods (production equipment and facilities used in the production process) that the company purchases or, in those cases where another part is responsible for the entire investment project, the price of the investment delivery. Profitability measures the development in the profitability of the company's sales of goods or services. Profitability means the change in the difference between current operating expenses and current operating revenues. In this case, it is not considered factors that affect the company's profits that are not directly linked to the company's main activity (eg. sales of electricity). In addition, a new statistics bank table is published which shows reasons that limit the company's investment activity: «12786: Business tendency survey. Limiting factors for investments». For "Limiting factors for investments", business leaders are asked to choose the most important reasons that limit new investments (several answers possible). If they have not planned investments, they can use the option «No special». The reasons that are measured are these: «Access to credit» if they plan to invest in new real capital, but have problems establishing enough financing. «Expected development in demand» if they expect lower demand and for that reason it is risky to invest in new capacity. The alternatives for investment costs are used if it is considered that «Prices for Capital Good» and /or «Financing cost» are so high that it limits the implementation of planned investments. «Governmental requirement» if they conclude that public requirements related to an investment (for example environmental requirements) are so high that planned investments are limited. «Access to governmental subsidy» if the planned investments are limited by rejection of an application for public grants or that the grants are too low. «Available production capacity» if at the end of the quarter they have spare production capacity and for that reason do not wish to carry out planned investments at the present time. Companies that have other limiting factors than those specified in the form, use the option «Other factors» where the business leaders can specify what these factors are.
