Press Release 10/12/2012

CONJUNCTORAL SERVICES INDEX OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY (ICS) 3RD QUARTER 2012

The sales index of the services sector of the Basque Country dropped by 2.4% in the third quarter of 2012

The trade sales index dropped by 1.0% and the index for other services was down by 4.6%.

The sales index for the services sector of the Basque Country registered a 2.4% nominal drop in sales in the third quarter of 2012 compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data provided by Eustat.

Compared to the previous quarter, the sales index was up a nominal 3.7%, once any seasonal effects had been eliminated.

By sectors, the trade sales index was down 1.0% in nominal terms in the third quarter of 2012, whilst for other services, which form part of the index, it was down 4.6% with regards to the same period of 2011.

Within trade the Sale & Repair of Motor Vehicles sector stood out for negative reasons, registering a nominal downturn of 6.2%. Wholesale Trade evidenced an upturn of 0.2% and Retail Trade dropped by 1.1%.

There were declines of varying magnitudes in the sectors that make up other services. In the Administrative Activities & Auxiliary Services sector this fall was 8.8%, in Information & Communications it was 5.7%, in Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities the negative result was 5.2%, in Transport & Storage it was 3.8% and Hotel Management & Catering was down by 3.3%.

By province, the greatest drop in the sales index was produced in Álava, with a fall of 3.2%; whereas Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa were down by 2.3%.

In real terms, domestic trade sales fell by 4.6% in the third quarter once the price effect had been eliminated.

In trade, the sales index was down by 3.3% and in other services the decrease was 5.6%, with regards to the same quarter of 2011 and at constant prices.

The year-on-year evolutions within Trade were negative for all sectors: the Sale & Repair of Motor Vehicles sector was down by 8.6%, the Wholesale trade index fell by 1.7% and the Retail trade index fell by 3.5%.

In the other services section, and in constant euros, the sales index of the Administrative Activities & Auxiliary Services sector dropped by 11.2%, the Transport & Storage sector was down by 7.3%; the Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities sector fell by 5.5%; the Information & Communications sector sales index was down by 5.3%, and Hotel Management & Catering posted a fall of 4.0%.

The number of people employed in the retail trade sector in the Basque Country overall in the third quarter of 2012 was down by 0.9% on the second quarter of 2012.

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Tel:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.eus Contact: Gerardo Pérez Aja Tel:+34-945-01 75 06 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 Press releases on the Internet on the Conjunctural Services Index of the Basque Country (ICS) Databank on the Conjunctural Services Index of the Basque Country (ICS)