Industrial output drops 1.2 pc in Dec

Industrial output in Hungary fell by an annual 1.2 percent in December, dropping for the first time since June, albeit from a high base, data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Thursday show. In the base period, industrial output had risen 6.4 percent year on year. Adjusted for the number of working days, industrial output fell by an annual 3.7 percent in December. KSH said output of automotive manufacturing, which has the biggest weight in the industrial sector, "fell significantly", while output growth of computer, electronics and optical equipment manufacturing, another big segment, slowed. Output of the food, drink and tobacco products segment "continued to increase", KSH added.