According to a report by Italy's manufacturing industry association ANIMA, the Italian domestic manufacturing industry's recovery will be supported mainly by the increase in export activity, which is expected to rise by four percent in 2011.
"In 2010 output started to recover by 0.4 percent, while the 2011 forecast indicates an increase in the growth rate, reaching 2.6 percent. After the deep fall recorded in 2009, Italy's export activities increased in 2010 by 4.5 percent and are likely to confirm the uptrend in 2011, though the growth rate will be four percent, slowing its pace slightly," stated ANIMA in its report.
According to the figures provided, in 2010 a remarkable lack of confidence regarding new investments was seen, with new investments down 1.3 percent. Employment in Italian manufacturing industry was down by 1.8 percent in 2010, but is going to grow by 0.5 percent in 2011 on the back of the recovery, with the only exception of the manufacturing sector for construction-related products, in which employment is expected to drop by 1.3 percent in 2011.