Erfurt (dpa/th) - The price increase in many areas caused a strong increase in sales in Thuringia's industry in the first half of the year. The revenue of industrial companies with at least 50 employees amounted to around 18.4 billion euros, as announced by the State Statistical Office in Erfurt on Monday. That was an increase of 12.0 percent or two billion euros compared to the first half of 2021. However, this reflected strong price increases, it said.
If the price increase is factored out - i.e. adjusted for price - the bottom line was even a slight minus in industrial sales of 0.5 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to this, the domestic turnover of the industry increased by 1.3 billion euros or 12.3 percent to 11.5 billion euros. Price-adjusted, however, it was a minus of 0.8 percent.
Thuringia's exports increased by 699 million euros or 11.4 percent to 6.8 billion euros. In the case of deliveries abroad, higher prices were not as important as in Germany. Adjusted for price, export sales were 0.1 percent below the previous year's level.
Vehicle manufacturers and suppliers as well as the repair and installation of machines and equipment sectors again had a difficult time with significant sales declines. In the vehicle industry, which is important for Thuringia's industrial economy, the minus was 15.1 percent to 311.4 million euros - price-adjusted it was minus 16.2 percent in the first half of 2021.
The metal industry in the narrower sense posted strong growth of 75.3 percent to half-year sales of EUR 527.7 million. Adjusted for price, the increase was still 29.9 percent. The chemical industry achieved a sales increase of 45.3 percent - price-adjusted 7.4 percent.
Thuringia's industry was the employer for an average of 142,447 employees in the first half of the year - 1,852 more than in the same period.
