Industrial production in April rose 4.0 percent from the previous month to its highest level since October 2008, due mainly to increased auto production amid an economic recovery, government data showed Wednesday.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, however, kept unchanged its basic assessment that industrial production shows signs of improving. Manufacturers polled in the survey said they expect output to fall 2.5 percent in May but rise 1.8 percent in June.
The seasonally adjusted index of output at factories and mines stood at 103.8 against the base of 100 for 2010, the highest since 107.4 reported in October 2008. It followed a revised 1.9 percent fall in March, the ministry said in a preliminary report.