Overview
- Manufacturing production rose 9.3 percent in June compared with a year earlier but contracted 1.2 percent from May, marking its first monthly decline in three months
- Of 16 manufacturing divisions tracked by Indec, only metal products shrank in June while ICT equipment, furniture and auto parts led annual growth
- Construction output recorded a 13.9 percent year-on-year increase in June and a 0.9 percent uptick from May, marking its fifth straight annual gain
- Construction employment climbed to 388,703 jobs in May, up 4.1 percent year-on-year, while permitted building area jumped 7.5 percent
- Economists caution that rising imports, currency fluctuations and higher interest rates could undercut the fragile recovery in industry and construction