II.
2
Production
Page 109
5. Since the middle of 1948 the index of total industrial production has been maintained at about 6 points (or 51 per cent.) above the level of the corresponding months a year earlier. The index rose in February to 131 compared with 123 in February 1948. For the manufacturing industries the index rose to 133 in February. The index for chemicals and allied trades rose to 133 in February- 10 points greater than in February 1948. The index for textiles and clothing increased to 136-6 points above the level attained in October and November. The index of total industrial production in March is provisionally estimated at 130 compared with 119 in March 1948 which was affected by the Easter holiday.
Interim Index of Industrial Production
(Average 1946 = 100)
All industries
Manufacturing industries
1947-48
Points 1948-49 increase
1947-48
Points 1948-49 increase
3rd Quarter
109
115
+7
110
118
+8
October
120
126
+6
122
128
+6
November
123
129
+6
123
131
+8
December.
and
January
117
...
123
+6
117
125
+8.
February
123
131
+8
124
133
+9
March
119
130
+11
121
133
+12
Coal
6. The output of deep-mined coal recovered after the Easter holiday to 4.07 million tons in the last week of April. Average weekly output in March and April was 4 per cent. greater than in the same period of 1948. In the first two weeks of May average weekly output declined to 3,782,000 tons. An average of 183,000 tons a week was lost through disputes. In the third week of May, output recovered to 4,087,000 tons.
Output of Deep-mined Coal
(Weekly averages)
1947-48 Th. tons
November
December and January February
March and April
1948-49 Th. tons
Change Per cent.
4,000
4,094
+2.4
3,760
3,864
+2.8
3,915
4,092
+4.5
3,775
3,927
+4.0
7. Compared with a year ago there has workers effectively employed at the coal face. face in March and April was about 3 per cent. period last year.
been no increase in the number of Output per man-shift at the coal greater than in the corresponding
Employment; Absence from Work and Productivity at the Coal Face
Number of wage earners (Thousands)
Output per man-shift
On colliery
Effective
Absence from work (per cent.)
(tons)
books
employment(1)
1948 1949
1948 1949
1948
1949
1948
1949.
#
February March
291
298
270
271
14.30
15.41
2.92
3.01
292
299
270
270
14.03 16.08
2.90
3.03
April
292
298
272
270
13.39 15.02
2.90
2.97
Pagexting the wage-earners who were absent from the Page 109 of 366
whole of any week from whatever cause.
Textiles
se of 366
Corage
8. Cotton The output of cotton yarn rose steadily from
1f36b.
of
in the second week of March to 19.71 million lb. in the second week of April. After the Easter holiday production increased further to 20.14 million 16. in the first week of May. Total production for the first four months of this year amounted to 320 4 million lb. or 2.7 per cent. less than the target for the period. Output of woven cotton and ravon fabrics failed to rise in March and total production for the quarter fell slightly behind the target.
•
9. Wool.-Deliveries of worsted yarn and of woven cloth fabrics during the first quarter of 1949 just exceeded the targets.
10. Rayon. A record output of 24.8 million lb. of rayon yarn and staple fibre was achieved in March-16 per cent. more than in January and twice as great as in 1937. The target for 1949 is 300 million lb.
Iron and Steel
11. The output of steel ingots and castings for the first four months of the year was equal to the target and about 6 per cent. greater than output in the corresponding period of last year. Average weekly production of pig-iron in March and April was 179,000 tons a week compared with an average of 180,000 tons a week in March and April of 1948. Stocks of pig-iron have fallen from 479,000 tons in October to 434,000 tons at the end of April, but are forecast to recover to about the October level by the end of June. Stocks of scrap have been falling slowly since the beginning of the year but rose to 495,000 tons in the first week of May.
Motor Vehicles
12. The output of passenger cars rose to a new high level of 7,535 a week in March and the record number of 5,288 a week was produced for export. The increase was confined to small cars up to 1,600 c.c., 75 per cent. of those produced in March being for the export market. Production for export of both medium and large cars was lower in March than in February. In April the number of passenger cars produced for export declined reflecting to some extent difficulties in export markets.
13. The value of exports of passenger cars to Canada recovered to £459,000 in March equal to the average of £460,000 a month achieved in the last quarter of 1948. Exports to the United States, however, fell further from the monthly average of £634,000 to which they had risen in the last quarter of 1948 to £82,000 in April.
Export of all Passenger Cars (including chassis)
(Monthly averages)
1948 1st Quarter .
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
1949 January
£ thousand
Total to all countries
To United States
To Canada
4,575
286.
52
5,582
360
251
4,697
593
433
5,233
634
460
5,325
325
306
4,543
186
386
...6,134
103
453
5,272
82
459
February March April ...
14. Production of commercial vehicles also reached a record level of 4,139 a week in March. The number produced for export rose to 2,129 a week, of which 1,092 were vehicles of under 15 cwt. In April production for export declined to an average of 1,778 a week.
III.-Building
15. The number of new permanent houses (excluding aluminium houses) completed rose to 19,338 in March. Construction was begun on 18,280 new houses
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