11/05/2008 15h28
Occupation level in the industry continues high
Valor Econômico - 11/05/2008
The utilization of the installed capacity (UCI) of the industry reached 83.3% in September, a level very close to the record level of 83.4% from this year's July. In August, it was at 83% and 82.8% last year's September. The segment that most used the capacity was other transportation equipment, with an increase of 8.8 percent compared to last year's September, followed by leather/shoes (3.4 %) and printing/press (2.5 %). In September, two areas - chemical products and electronic and communication materials - remained stable and three had reduction of the UCI, those of machinery/equipment, wood and refine/alcohol. The information is in the monthly research of Industrial Indicators carried out by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI). According to the entity's economists Flávio Castelo Branco and Marcelo de Ávila, the elevation of the UCI does not cause concern because there have been investments. As an example, they mention the good performance of sales, worked hours, employment and salary mass in the companies that produce machinery and equipment. According to the CNI, the relationship between offer and demand this year is completely different from the one that happened on 2004, when the leap of the UCI was too fast and caused inflation. They also argue that, despite some volatility, the level of the UCI has been remained stable in 2008. "There is a fear syndrome of the UCI elevation, but, in the next months, with the crisis, this will no longer exist", commented Castelo Branco. The industrial indicators in September had the positive impact of bigger number of business days and recovered the space lost in August. The numbers of the CNI also showed that, in September, no impacts of the world financial crisis and of the high of the interest rates in Brazil were seen. These effects, according to Castelo Branco, should occur in the beginning of next year. The growth of the Gross National Product (GNP) in 2009 should be 3.5%, but it is only a "preliminary" analysis of the CNI.
