Trade turnover in Finland decreased in May 2024, compared to the same month the previous year, new data from Statistics Finland has found.
The data showed that the working day adjusted turnover in total trade decreased by 1.7% in the month, year-on-year, while the working day adjusted volume of sales in total trade, excluding the impact of price changes, dropped by 2.4%.
The last time that the volume of sales in Finland‘s total trade sector increased was in December 2021, the data indicated.
Turnover declines
Among the various trade industries, the adjusted turnover in the motor vehicle trade fell by 3.5% in May compared to the same period a year earlier, while the volume of sales was down 3.4%.
In the wholesale trade, meanwhile, turnover fell by 2.1%, with volumes down 3.6%, year-on-year. In the retail trade, turnover went down by 1.0% and sales volume by 0.8% in May.
Elsewhere, turnover in the trade of cultural and recreation goods decreased by 3.0% and sales volume by 2.2% in May from the year before.
Construction turnover
Other findings from Statistics Finland indicate that the working day adjusted turnover of construction enterprises decreased by 1.6% in May 2024 compared to the previous year. The volume of sales, excluding the impact of price changes, went down by 0.6%.
The decline in construction was most affected by the weak development of turnover and sales volume in building construction, the data showed. Building construction experienced significant challenges, contributing heavily to the overall decline in the sector.
However, there was a marked growth in civil engineering, which softened the decline in construction, Statistics Finland added.
