Although still down by 18.0 per cent compared to 12 months earlier, seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales in Alberta increased for the third month in a row in July.

Monthly sales rose by 3.0 per cent in the province compared to a 7.0 per cent increase in the country as a whole.

Total sales over the first seven months of the year in Alberta are down by $7.8 billion (17.1 per cent) compared to the same period last year.

Almost 80 per cent of the improvement in July was due to increased petroleum refinery sales, which were up by $118.2 million or 13.8 per cent compared to June. However, at 44.2 per cent ($773.9 million) below where they were in July 2019, the petroleum refining sub-sector still has the most ground to make up.

Transportation equipment manufacturing (34.3 per cent) and furniture manufacturing (34.2 per cent) both posted solid gains in July.

Six sub-sectors experienced a drop in sales in July, including primary metals (6.6 per cent), machinery (4.6 per cent) and chemicals (3.4 per cent).

Only four sub-sectors were ahead of where they were a year earlier: furniture (12.5 per cent), food manufacturing (8.5 per cent), paper (0.6 per cent) and wood (0.4 per cent).