Türkiye's manufacturing capacity utilization rate increased for the first time in four months in September, while factory confidence remained slightly less optimistic, figures from the central bank showed on Wednesday.
The capacity utilization rate rose to 74% in September from 73.5% in the previous month, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) said.
The increase in September was mainly driven by higher capacity utilization in investment goods and intermediate goods.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the capacity utilization rate also increased somewhat to 73.8% in September from 73.6% in the previous month.
Separate data from the central bank showed that the non-adjusted manufacturing confidence index declined to 100.2 in September from 100.6 in August. A score above 100 indicates an optimistic outlook.
The index reflecting general business conditions weakened to 90.9 from 91.5, while the current order book balance improved to 82.0 from 80.3, and expected employment in the next three months dropped to 99.3 from 100.2.
A separate report from the national statistical body on Wednesday said the sectoral confidence index rose in the retail and construction industries, while it declined in the services sector.
The construction sector recorded the most significant rise, with a 3.6% jump to 88.3, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
The retail trade sector experienced a modest increase of 0.4%, reaching 109.2. The services sector saw a slight decline of 0.1%, bringing its index to 111.
An index value above 100 indicates optimism regarding current and future conditions, while a value below 100 reflects pessimism.
In construction, the rise was driven by a 0.6% rise in current registered orders and a robust 6.3% increase in expectations for total employment over the next three months.
The retail trade sector showed mixed signals. While business volume and sales over the past three months fell by 1.2%, and expectations for the next quarter dipped by 0.3%, inventory levels increased significantly by 3.5%, suggesting preparation for future demand.
Despite the data showing continued optimism, the services sector showed signs of strain. Business conditions over the past three months declined by 0.1%, and expectations for demand in the next three months dropped by 0.7%. However, actual demand over the past quarter rose by 0.7%.
