PCB market in December surprisingly positive

The full year finished 7.5 percent lower than in 2011. When it comes to long-term comparison however, December figures are merely 2 percent lower than the average. Order intake in December 2012 is also surprisingly high. Figures recorded are only slightly below the level of December 2011 (boosted by the flooding in Thailand). For the full year, order volume decreased by 3.1 percent. The order volume corresponds to the long-term average. The outlook is more positive than in previous months. The book-to-bill ratio stood at a very high 1.25 - the highest for 2012. The number of employees fell again - by three percent. The increasing number of temporary contracts are - often - discontinued at year's end. However, if the economic situation improves, hires are immediate.