The retail sales volume increased by 0.4 percent in October 2021 compared with September 2021. Retail sales in durables increased by 0.6 percent and retail sales in consumables (excluding Systembolaget, the state-owned chain of liquor stores) increased by 0.5 percent. These figures are working-day and seasonally adjusted and in fixed prices.
The number of gainfully employed persons decreased by 79 800 people in 2020 compared with the previous year, a decrease of 1.6 percent. Gross pay increased by 1.0 percent in the corresponding period.
In October 2021, the annual growth rate of mortgages to households from monetary financial institutions was 6.8 percent. The growth rate for lending to non-financial corporations was 3.4 percent. The mortgage rates on new agreements remain historically low.
Despite a major focus on ethical rules for AI at the international level and the ethical rules issued by the European Commission concerning reliable AI, 1 percent of all enterprises have refrained from using artificial intelligence due to ethical considerations.
The Producer Price Index rose by 0.1 percent from September to October. Prices increased by 0.2 percent on the export market and by 2.6 percent on the import market. On the domestic market, prices remained unchanged. The annual rate according to the Producer Price Index was 16.8 percent in October 2021 (17.2 percent in September).