The Opposition has applauded GDP growth figures but issued a cautionary note on the flagging manufacturing sector.

Opposition economy shadow minister Mario de Marco said figures released by the National Statistics Office showed that not all sectors of the economy were growing at the same rate.

On Monday the NSO reported GDP growth of 5.4 per cent in the third quarter. This was the fourth quarter in a row with economic growth surpassing the five per cent mark.

Manufacturing bucked the general trend and contributed less to the economy. Dr de Marco said when speaking of growth the government seemed to be ignoring the fact that average wages in the manufacturing and construction sectors decreased over the past two years, that 300 workers will be axed by De La Rue and the number of people living in poverty or at risk of poverty had gone up.

“Pensioners who are increasingly finding it more difficult to cope with the cost of living… and the families of those who are about to lose their job, are probably finding it difficult to relate to the triumphalist tone of the government’s press release heralding economic growth,” Dr de Marco said.

He called on the government to use the positive economic thrust to address some of these issues, particularly by reducing the price of petrol and diesel.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna had earlier said that the GDP results for the third quarter confirmed that the economy was registering “strong and broad-based growth”.