TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1979
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QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY
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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT HAS COMPILED A REPORT ON A QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY HELD LAST (APRIL) MONTH.
ABOUT 750 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, FORMING A CROSS-SECTION OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, AND THEIR BUSINESS EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER.
RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY, ON BALANCE, CONSIDERED THAT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, BUSINESS WAS SOMEWHAT BETTER THAN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN EXPECTED WHILE THE SECOND QUARTER SHOULD SHOW FURTHER IMPROVEMENT ON THE FIRST QUARTER.
FOOD, BEVERAGE, TOBACCO,
THE MANUFACTURING SECTORS WATCHES AND CLOCKS AND MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES REPORTED AN IMPROVED FIRST QUARTER AND ARE CONFIDENT OF
FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO COME IN THE SECOND QUARTER. ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO IMPROVEMENTS ARE THE ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES AND ELECTRONICS SECTORS WHICH REPORTED A FAIRLY STEADY FIRST QUARTER.
THE REMAINING MANUFACTURING SECTORS
PLASTICS, FABRICATED
METAL PRODUCTS, TEXTILES, WEARING APPAREL AND PRINTING EXPERIENCED DETERIORATIONS IN THE FIRST QUARTER BUT EXPECT APPRECIABLE UPTURNS IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
AS A WHOLE, THE MANUFACTURING DIVISION REPORTED MARGINAL DETERIORATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER, AND ANTICIPATES A GENERAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR SHOWED A CONTINUING DECREASE IN THE DEGREE OF OPTIMISM SINCE THE LATTER PART OF 1978.
+FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE TWO YEARS COVERED BY THIS SERIES OF SURVEYS, THERE IS A SMALL NEGATIVE BALANCE OF 'UPS OVER DOWNS' ÎN EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF THIS YEAR REGARDING THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION, HE SAID.
AFTER EXPERIENCING APPRECIABLE IMPROVEMENTS QUARTER AFTER QUARTER, THE SECTOR REPORTED ONLY A VERY SMALL IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR OVER THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1978, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE SERVICES SECTORS -- HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS -- BOTH HAD A GOOD FIRST QUARTER, QUITE CONTRARY TO PREVIOUS EXPECTATIONS.
+THE HOTELS SECTOR IS CONFIDENT OF FURTHER ADVANCES WHILE THE RESTAURANTS SECTOR IN GENERAL PREDICTS DETERIORATION, HE SAID,
THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE TRADE SECTOR REPORTED SOME DETERIORATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND EXPECTS FURTHER DETERIORATION IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
/FOR CHER