The difficult period that the woodworking and wood-based materials industry is experiencing has been unfortunately confirmed by the economic figures referring to the second quarter 2009. The message is clear: the signs of long-awaited recovery are still far and we are in the middle of a stage of stagnating production.
Traditionally carried out by the Acimall Studies Office on a sample of manufacturers of all types and sizes, the quarterly survey reveals that, between April and June, orders went down by 53.8 percent compared to the same period in 2008. Foreign orders decreased as well (-58.5 percent) and national demand recorded a 35.6 percent reduction. The situation may seem less dramatic – though not comforting – if compared with the figures of the first quarter of this year, when the reduction in the period April-June amounted to only 2.3 percent (-7.2 percent for orders from abroad, while the national market grew by 12 percent).
In the period under scrutiny, prices have recorded a slight shrinkage (-0.1 percent), while the months of ensured production at the end of the second quarter 2009 were equal to 1.2.
Based on the indications of the sample companies, the quality survey gave the following results: 68 percent indicate decreasing production, 29 percent stable and 3 percent growing.
Employment is considered stationary by 65 percent of the sample and falling by the remaining 35 percent. Available stocks are stationary according to 45 percent, decreasing according to 42 percent and growing according to the remaining 13 percent.
The forecast survey shows a situation of substantial stability, although people are aware that a possible stop of the order decline will not allow them to believe in a quick recovery process. On the contrary: the most widespread opinion is that the industry will come back to pre-crisis production levels only in some years. In the next period, international orders are expected to increase for 10 percent of the interviewees, they will be substantially stable for 61 percent and further decreasing for 29 percent (balance -19). The Italian market is expected to have a constant trend according to 58 percent of the interviewees, it will recover for 7 percent and it will decrease further for the remaining 35 percent (balance -51).
