THE REAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY IN 2013: FACTORS AND TRENDS

According to the RF Ministry of Economic Development’s preliminary estimates, GDP annual growth in 2013 was 1.3%, while its average per annum growth over the period of 2010–2012 had hovered around of 4.1%. The slowdown of Russia’s economic growth in 2013 was determined by a low domes?? c demand. Investments in fixed assets declined by 0.3%, and the consumer market’s growth rate dropped from 6.3% a year earlier to 3.9% on 2012. The processing industries displayed growth of 0.1% on 2012, while the quarterly rate of production decline in machine-building and metallurgy was on the rise against the backdrop of shrinking investment demand. Dwindling profits, rising production costs, an accelerated growth of wages vs. labor productivity, shrinking demand for labor all contribute to the very unfavorable business situation in 2014.