TUESDAY, MAY 20, 1980
+NOT LONG AGO PERSONNEL MANAGERS WERE RARELY HEARD OF IN HONG KONG. NOW THERE IS A LARGE AND INCREASING NUMBER OF PERSONS TRAINED IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT WHO ARE FULFILLING AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN OUR FAST GROWING ECONOMY.
+ I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE AN EQUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF SAFETY OFFICERS EMPLOYED IN INDUSTRY IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, HE SAID.
REPORT ON BUSINESS EXPECTATIONS PUBLISHED
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THE RESULTS OF A QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY HAVE INDICATED THAT HONG KONG BUSINESSES PASSED THE SEASONALLY LOW FIRST QUARTER OF 1980 IN A FASHION NOT TOO DIFFERENT FROM THAT EXPECTED, AND ARE ANTICIPATING IMPROVEMENTS TO COME IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
A REPORT ON THE SURVEY, HELD IN APRIL, HAS BEEN COMPILED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AND IS AVAILABLE AT $3 A COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT THE GPO BUILDING IN CONNAUGHT PLACE.
ABOUT 900 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, FORMING A CROSS- SECTION OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, WERE ASKED ABOUT THE IR BUSINESS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1980, AND THEIR BUSINESS EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER.
IN THE MANUFACTURING DIVISION, FOOD, BEVERAGE, TOBACCO' 'ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES AND ELECTRONICS' HAD PREDICTED SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, BUT THIS IMPROVEMENT DID NOT MATERIALIZE. NEVERTHELESS, THESE SECTORS ARE CONFIDENT OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMING QUARTER.
THE REST OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTORS HAD PREDICTED SOME DETERIORATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER. 'MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES', HOWEVER, HAD AN IMPROVED PERFORMANCE, WHILE "PRINTING' AND 'FABRICATED PRODUCTS' DID NOT DO AŠ BADLY AS EXPECTED. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 'TEXTILES', WHICH EXPECTS FURTHER DETERIORATION IN THE COMING QUARTER, SECTORS ARE PREDICTING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAD STEADY BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND EXPECTS THIS TO CONTINUE INTO THE SECOND QUARTER.
FOR SERVICES, THE 'RESTAURANTS' SECTOR, WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED A SERIOUS DETERIORATION IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER, REPORTED STEADY BUSINESS INSTEAD. BECAUSE OF SEASONALITY, IT PREDICTS A LOW SECOND QUARTER. 'WHOLESALE/RETAIL TRADE', WHICH DID A LITTLE BETTER IN THE FIRST QUARTER THAN EXPECTED, IS ALSO MOVING INTO A SEASONAL LOW, NEITHER OF THOSE SECTORS, HOWEVER, SEEM TO DISPLAY ANY PESSIMISM. ON THE OTHER HAND, HOTELS ARE MOVING OUT OF A LOW FIRST QUARTER INTO A HIGH SECOND QUARTER.
THE 'TRANSPORTATION