Italian industrial production drops again in August

(ANSA) – Rome, October 10 – Industrial production dropped again in August in recession-hit Italy, national statistics agency Istat said Thursday.

The agency said production was down 0.3% in August compared to July, when there had been a 1% fall on the previous month.

It said August’s production level was 4.6% lower than in the same month in 2012, the 24th consecutive year-on-year drop, as the country struggles to emerge from its longest recession in over two decades.

Istat said a 1.6% month-on-month fall in energy-production levels was mostly to blame for the drop. It said production of consumer goods and intermediate goods was up 2.2% and 1.3% respectively in August compared to July.