The IIP rose by 1% across the first five months of this year the lowest level for many years. The IIP for the first five months of 2019 expanded by 9.5%.
In the five-month period, the manufacturing industry posted a growth of 2.2% (the same period in 2019 saw a 10.9% increase), electricity production and distribution recorded an expansion of 2.6%, and water supply and waste treatment saw a growth of 2.9%.
Meanwhile, the mining sector decreased by 8.1%.
According to the GSO, the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world has disruptedthe supply chain of raw materials, thus, seriously affecting industrial production.
Some key industrial products suffered sharp decreases in the five-month period including the production of automobiles (down 26.9%), sugar (down 25.4%), beer (down 24.5%), motorbike (down 15.6%), and others.
However, several industrial products reported high growth including phone components (up 18.1%), steel (up 12.1%), fertilizer (up 11.3%) and gasoline (up 10.7%).
The number of employees working in industrial businesses as of May 1, 2020 edged up by 0.9% compared to the previous month but fell by 1.7% compared to the same period last year.
