HANOI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's national index of industrial production advanced 8.7 percent year on year in the first half of this year, according to the country's General Statistics Office on Friday.
The processing and manufacturing sector, the main driver behind the surge, went up by 9.7 percent. The electricity production and distribution sector expanded by 6 percent, and the water supply and waste management sector went up by 4.1 percent, said the office.
In June alone, the industrial production index rose 1 percent against May and 11.5 percent year on year.
Production activities during the month posted expansion as the latest COVID-19 wave, which affected a number of industrial parks, was brought under control and businesses have been recovering gradually from the pandemic, the office said.
From January to June, the production of phone accessories witnessed the largest output increase year on year of 22.2 percent, followed by beer, up 14.2 percent and urea fertilizer, up 13.6 percent.
Over the months, the total number of employees in the industrial sector increased by 5.8 percent year on year, said the office. ■