MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1982
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IN CONTRAST, THE TEXTILES, FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, AND "ATCHES AND CLOCKS INDUSTRIES REPORTED A DETERIORATION IN BUSINESS AND PREDICT A DOWNTREND FOR THE THIRD QUARTER,
RESPONDENTS OF THE WEARING APPAREL, ELECTRICAL MACHINERY APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES, AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES ON BALANCE EXPERIENCED LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND EXPECT LITTLE OR NO IMPROVEMENT FOR THE THIRD QUARTER.
RESPONDING FIRMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR EXPERIENCED
A SIMILAR BUSINESS SITUATION AS THAT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, AND EXPECT THE SITUATION TO REMAIN UNCHANGED IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
FIRMS IN THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE REPORTED A DETERIORATION IN BUSINESS, AND EXPECT VERY LITTLE IMPROVEMENT
IN THE GENERAL BUSINESS OUTLOOK FOR THE THIRD QUARTER.
FIRMS IN THE RESTAURANTS BUSINESS ALSO REPORTED A DECLINE IN THE SECOND QUARTER BUT LOOK FORWARD TO SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
AS FOR HOTELS, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION IN THE SECOND QUARTER WAS SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
A DETERIORATION IN BUSINESS IS EXPECTED FOR THE THIRD QUARTER DUE MAINLY TO SEASONAL FACTORS.
ON THE +OTHER SERVICES+ SECTOR, THE BALANCE OF VIEWS INDICATE AN UNCHANGED POSITION IN THE SECOND QUARTER BUT SOME IMPROVEMENT FOR THE THIRD QUARTER IS PREDICTED IN GENERAL.
HIGH INTEREST RATES AND INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS ORDERS OR CONTRACTS CONTINUED TO BE THE MAJOR PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN GENERAL DURING THE SECOND QUARTER, AND THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, ONLY FIRMS IN THE FOOD, BEVERAGE AND TOBACCO, AND PRINTING INDUSTRIES INDICATED NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN THE SECOND AND THIRD QUARTERS.
FIRMS IN THE PLASTICS, ELECTRONICS, AND WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES INDICATED THAT HIGH WAGE RATES, SHORTAGE OF LABOUR AND HIGH LABOUR TURNOVER WERE THE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
HOWEVER, THE INTENSITY OF THESE PROBLEMS HAD SUBSIDED IN THE SECOND QUARTER, AND IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT THIS LOWER LEVEL IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FACED THE PROBLEMS OF PRICE COMPETITION, HIGH WAGE RATES AND HIGH INTEREST RATES IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND EXPECT THESE PROBLEMS TO CONTINUE INTO THE THIRD QUARTER.
HOWEVER, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUCH PROBLEMS AS HIGH INTEREST RATES, HIGH LABOUR TURNOVER AND SHORTAGE OF SKILLED LABOUR IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DECLINED IN THE SECOND QUARTER, AS COMPARED WITH THE SITUATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
/IN THE ...