Manufacturing rose 5.5 percent in the three months through March from a year earlier, compared with a 6 percent gain in the previous quarter. Finance and insurance services grew 9 percent after a 10.8 percent jump in the previous quarter. Farm output rose 7.5 percent while mining advanced 1.7 percent, according to the report.
The sectors which registered significant growth rates are agriculture, forestry and fishing at 7.5 percent, electricity, gas and water supply at 7.8 percent, construction at 8.2 percent, trade, hotels, transport and communication at 9.3 percent, and financing, insurance, real estate and business services at 9.0 percent.