Slovakia's car producers had a record year in 2012, with a 44.9-percent year-on-year increase in the number of cars they manufactured. The final total produced last year was 926,555. The TASR newswire reported, citing the directors of Slovakia's Car Industry Association (ZAP), Jaroslav Holeček.
"Even the biggest optimists weren't expecting [such an increase]," said Holeček. According to the data gathered by the association, 171 cars per 1,000 people were manufactured in Slovakia in 2012, up from 118 cars per 1,000 people in 2011. Meanwhile, the average for the whole of the European Union in 2012 was 38 cars per 1,000 people.
The growth in car production in 2012 was reflected in the financial results of suppliers to the Slovak carmaking industry. There are currently 274 companies in Slovakia that supply components and material for the manufacture of automobiles. 202 of these are based in western Slovakia, with the rest scattered across the centre and east of the country. Last year saw a slight increase in the number of people working in the automotive sector. The sector employed more than 74,000 people in 2012, a 3.5-percent increase on an annual basis. Another 2,000 jobs may be created in the sector in 2013, Holeček said.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
18. Apr 2013 at 10:00
