According to figures from the National Statistics Office, provisional seasonally adjusted data indicate that in the second quarter, turnover in selected services activities increased by 2.4 per cent over the previous quarter. Over the corresponding quarter last year, working day adjusted services turnover decreased by 2.0 per cent.
During the second quarter, turnover in selected activities increased by 2.4 per cent. The main sectors such as wholesale trade, retail trade and transportation and storage increased by 1.3, 0.4 and 0.2 per cent respectively.
Furthermore, accommodation and food services activities advanced by 3.9 per cent on the previous quarter. On the other hand, turnover in professional, scientific and technical activities declined by 1.2 per cent.
Seasonally adjusted employment edged up by 0.5 per cent while gross wages and salaries and hours worked increased by 0.6 and 2.2 per cent respectively.
Working day adjusted turnover for the second quarter decreased by 2.0 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2011, mainly due to a decline in wholesale trade (-3.8 per cent) and retail trade (-0.2 per cent).
Furthermore, a drop of 14.3 per cent in motor trade was registered. In contrast, turnover in accommodation and food service activities increased by 5.2 per cent over the corresponding quarter last year. Employment in services activities decreased marginally by 0.3 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter last year.
The sectors that influenced this decrease were retail trade and wholesale trade, with declines of 1.7 and 2.3 per cent respectively. Mitigating this decline was a 1.7 per cent increase in employment in accommodation and food services activities.
In contrast to employment, working day adjusted wages and salaries and hours worked advanced by 2.9 and 2.0 per cent respectively.