Industrial capacity utilization rates, first quarter 2013
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Released: 2013-06-13
Canadian industries operated at 81.1% of their production capacity in the first quarter, up from 80.5% in the previous quarter. The first quarter growth followed two quarters of decline. Both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors contributed equally to the advance.
Chart 1
Industrial capacity utilization rate up after two quarters of decline
Non-manufacturing industries: Strength in the mining industry
Mining, oil and gas extraction was the main source of the overall increase in capacity use in the first quarter.
Higher crude petroleum extraction boosted the oil and gas extraction industry's capacity utilization rate, up 1.8 percentage points to 87.4%.
As was the case in the fourth quarter of 2012, an increase in metallic and non-metallic mineral mining pushed the mining and quarrying industry's capacity utilization rate (+4.7%) upward in the first quarter. The rate rose to 66.0%.
Among non-manufacturing industries, only the forestry and logging industry had a lower capacity utilization rate than in the previous quarter, its first decline since the first quarter of 2012.
The construction industry operated at 80.7% of its capacity, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous quarter. This advance was attributable to growth in all types of construction except residential buildings.
Manufacturing: The wood product manufacturing industry leads the increase in capacity use
The manufacturing sector operated at 79.7% of its capacity in the first quarter, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. The increase followed two quarters of decline.
The capacity utilization rate rose in 12 of the 21 major industry groups, representing approximately 60% of the manufacturing sector.
The largest contributors to the increase in the capacity utilization rate were the wood product, food and chemical product manufacturing industries. Capacity utilization rates declined in nine industries, notably the transportation equipment manufacturing industry where it went down by 2.5 percentage points.
Chart 2
Capacity utilization up slightly in manufacturing
Increased activity in the wood product manufacturing industry pushed its capacity utilization rate up 3.9 percentage points to 87.8% in the first quarter.
In the food manufacturing industry, capacity use rose 1.3 percentage points to 75.4% in the first quarter. Higher production in the grain and oilseed milling industry was largely responsible for the increase.
For chemical product manufacturers, capacity use advanced from 79.5% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 81.7% in the first quarter, the third consecutive increase. Higher industry output, combined with lower capital stock contributed to the gain.
Lower production of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and of aerospace products and parts reduced the capacity utilization rate in the transportation equipment industry. The rate fell from 88.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 85.9% in the first quarter.
Note to readers
The industrial capacity utilization rate is the ratio of an industry's actual output to its estimated potential output. For most industries, the annual estimates are obtained from the Capital and Repair Expenditures Survey while the quarterly pattern is derived from output-to-capital ratio series, the output being the real gross domestic product at basic prices, seasonally adjusted, by industry.
This program covers all manufacturing and selected non-manufacturing industries.
At the time of this release, rates have been revised back to the first quarter of 2012 to reflect updated source data.
The National economic accounts module, accessible from the Browse by key resource module of our website, features an up-to-date portrait of national and provincial economies and their structure.
Data on industrial capacity utilization rates for the second quarter will be released on September 13.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@canada.ca).
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