November industrial production in Czechia decreased by 2.7% year on year and by 1.4% month on month, the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) reported.

The value of new orders increased by 0.2% y/y, returning “into the black mainly thanks to manufacture of motor vehicles […], electrical vehicles as well as to contracting of other long-term orders of other transport equipment” such as rail vehicles, commented Veronika Dolezalova, head of the Industrial Statistic Unit at CZSO.  

Industry continued in its unconvincing performance in 2023 after it registered a slight increase of 1.9% y/y in October.

Noting industry’s return to decline, Radek Matejka of the CZSO commented that “a slight increase in manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers and in some related fields was not able to compensate for a decrease in [the] majority of other activities”.

Matejka highlighted a drop “manufacture of machinery and equipment and manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products”.

CZSO report also noted that “the development in manufacture of motor vehicles was partially influenced by a higher comparison base of the year 2022, in which November as the strongest month of the year compensated for the previous October shortfall”.

The average number of registered employees in industry decreased by 2.3% y/y.

Construction output registered even starker figures in November, CZSO also reported – decreasing by 6.5% y/y and by 3.8% m/m.

“The decrease in production was partially influenced by the weather – the highest average precipitation amount for November since 1961 has been recorded”, Matejka commented.

Authorities issued 11.7% less building permits, while the approximate value of permitted constructions increased by 0.2% y/y. The number of started dwellings decreased by 40.7% y/y and the number of completed dwellings decreased by 19.2% y/y.    

“The number of completed dwellings decreased by a fifth due to the category of family houses and it was rather influenced by a high comparison basis”, explained Petra Curinova, Head of the Construction Statistics Unit at CZSO.

The average registered number of employees in construction enterprises with 50+ employees increased by 0.6% y/y.