Netherlands:Drop in textile industry output

The average daily output of the Dutch manufacturing industry was 0.6 percent lower in March than twelve months previously, after an increase of 1.1 percent in February. Production decreased for the first time in over two years.
With a drop of 3 percent, output decreased by most in the textile industry. This sector’s contribution to Dutch manufacturing output is quite modest, however. Output did increase in the chemical industry.
Seasonally adjusted figures provide a more reliable picture of short-term production developments. Monthly figures not adjusted for seasonal effects are often somewhat erratic.
Therefore, the two-month average compared with the previous two-month average is preferred. After correction for seasonal effects and the number of working days, manufacturing output was nearly 1 percent down in February-March on the period December 2007-January 2008.