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Industrial capacity utilization rates, fourth quarter 2016

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Released: 2017-03-09

Industrial capacity use

82.2%

Fourth quarter 2016

0.6 pts increase

(quarterly change)

Canadian industries operated at 82.2% of their production capacity in the fourth quarter, up from 81.6% in the previous quarter. This was the second consecutive quarterly gain.

Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction as well as construction were the main sources of the advance. Increases in capacity utilization in mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction and construction and in non-durable goods manufacturing more than offset declines in durable goods manufacturing, electric power generation, transmission and distribution, and forestry and logging.

Chart 1  Chart 1: A second quarterly gain in the industrial capacity utilization rate
A second quarterly gain in the industrial capacity utilization rate

The mining and quarrying industry drives the overall increase

The mining and quarrying industry was the main source of the increase in the capacity utilization rate in the fourth quarter. Due to a significant gain in support activities for mining and oil and gas extraction, the capacity utilization rate of the mining and quarrying industry rose 5.0 percentage points to 73.9%. This was the largest gain since the third quarter of 2011.

After seven straight quarterly declines, the capacity utilization rate of the construction industry rose from 83.3% in the third quarter to 84.2% in the fourth quarter. The increase was mostly attributable to residential construction and repairs.

After rising 7.8 percentage points in the third quarter, as operations resumed following the Fort McMurray wildfires, the capacity utilization rate for oil and gas extraction increased 0.3 percentage points to 82.4% in the fourth quarter. Higher volumes of non-conventional oil extraction accounted for the gain.

In the electric power generation, transmission and distribution industry, the capacity utilization rate decreased from 86.9% to 86.1%, as a result of warmer than usual weather in the fall of 2016 across the western part of the country. The decline followed a 3.4 percentage point increase in the third quarter.

The capacity utilization rate of the manufacturing sector edges down on lower durable goods manufacturing

After rising 0.6 percentage points the third quarter, the capacity utilization rate of all manufacturing industries edged down 0.1 percentage points in the fourth quarter to 81.7%. Most of this decrease was attributable to durable goods manufacturing industries.

Chart 2  Chart 2: Capacity utilization in the manufacturing sector edges down
Capacity utilization in the manufacturing sector edges down

The capacity utilization rate of the primary metal manufacturing industry declined for the second consecutive quarter, down 3.0 percentage points to 75.6% in the fourth quarter on lower production in most subsectors. In the third quarter, the primary metal manufacturing industry was down by 0.9 percentage points (from 79.5% to 78.6%).

The rate for transportation equipment manufacturers fell from 88.7% in the third quarter to 87.2% in the fourth quarter, led by lower production of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and of aerospace products and parts.

The overall decline in the manufacturing sector was mitigated by increases in selected industries, particularly in chemical product manufacturing and wood product manufacturing.

For the fourth time in five quarters, chemical product manufacturers increased their industrial capacity utilization, from 87.7% in the third quarter to 89.6% in the fourth quarter. Increased production occurred in most industry subsectors.

After falling 3.7 percentage points in the second quarter, the capacity utilization rate of the wood product manufacturing industry rose for the fifth time in six quarters, from 87.5% in the third quarter to 90.2% in the fourth quarter. The advance was attributable to an overall increase in production.

Annual average rate: Slight increase in 2016 following a decline a year earlier

The average capacity utilization rate of Canadian industries edged up 0.2 percentage points to 81.0% in 2016, after falling 1.6 percentage points in 2015.

The annual average capacity utilization rate of non-manufacturing industries was up in 2016, while the manufacturing sector posted the same annual average rate as the previous year (81.8%). The capacity utilization rate rose in 9 of the 21 major manufacturing industries.



  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 Annual Survey of Manufacturing and Logging Industries while the quarterly pattern is derived from the 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 industries as well as forestry and logging, mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction, electric power generation, transmission and distribution, and construction industries.

With this release of industrial capacity utilization rates, the data were revised back to the first quarter of 2015 to reflect the latest revisions to the source data. Specifically, data for capacity utilization rate of manufacturing industries collected from the Annual Survey of Manufacturing and Logging Industries were incorporated.

Next release

Data on industrial capacity utilization rates for the first quarter will be released on June 9.

Products

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The Methodological Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (Catalogue number13-607-X) is available.

The User Guide: Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (Catalogue number13-606-G) is also available. This publication will be updated to maintain its relevance.

Contact information

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