BERLIN – Industrial production in Germany, Europe%27s biggest economy, slipped slightly in June after posting healthy rises in the preceding months, government data showed Friday.
Production was down 0.6 percent on the month, the Economy Ministry said. In May, production increased by 2.9 percent — revised upward from a preliminary estimate of 2.6 percent.
The data showed slight declines across the board except in production of consumer goods, which was up 0.2 percent on the month.
The weaker showing "should not be interpreted as the end of the industrial rebound," said Alexander Koch, an economist at UniCredit in Munich. "It was rather a breather after the impressive growth rates in the previous months."
The figures came a day after a separate report showed that German industrial orders returned to healthy growth in June after a slight decline the previous month.
Industrial production in May and June was up 3.3 percent over the previous two-month period, a less volatile measurement, the Economy Ministry said.
Second-quarter gross domestic product figures are due next Friday, with Germany expected to lead a good eurozone performance. Koch estimated German quarter-on-quarter growth at 1.2 percent.
A poll for ARD television found that 50 percent of Germans expect the country%27s economic situation to be better in future, a six-point increase compared with last November, while only 18 percent expect it to worsen — a 12-point fall.
The poll of 1,000 people, conducted on Aug. 2 and 3 by the Infratest dimap group, gave a margin of error of plus or minus up to 3.1 points.
While the mood now is one of optimism, economists expect slower growth in the year%27s second half.
"Toward the end of the year, we will have to live with substantially lower growth dynamic again" in industry, Koch said.