FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1982
OCTOBER SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL AND ORDERS-ON-HAND
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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY RELEASED STATISTICS FROM THE MONTHLY SURVEY FOR OCTOBER 1982.
THE SURVEY COVERED A PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES (CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT SIZE IN SEPTEMBER 1979) ÀS WELL AS OF THE 43 LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTER SERVICES SECTORS,
AS THE SAMPLE WAS NOT DRAWN ON A RANDOM BASIS, THE RESULTS ON MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE MIGHT NOT REFLECT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE ECONOMY AB A WHOLE, BUT SHOULD GIVE A USEFUL INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE FOR A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY IN THE SHORT TERM.
FOR ALL MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED TAKEN TOGETHER, EMPLOYMENT DECLINED IN OCTOBER 1982 AS COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH.
EMPLOYMENT DROPPED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY ON ACCOUNT
OF LESS DEMAND FOR SOFT DRINKS AFTER THE SUMMER SEASON.
EMPLOYMENT ALSO DECLINED IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES AS A RESULT OF THE RETRENCHMENT OF WORKERS BY A FEW FACTORIES SURVEYED.
TAKING ALL OF THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED AS A WHOLE, PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH. HOWEVER, PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS DROPPED IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY BECAUSE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SEVERANCE PAY WAS GIVEN OUT IN THE PRECEDING MONTH.
PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS ALSO DROPPED IN THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY AS BONUSES WERE AWARDED BY A FACTORY IN THE PRECEDING MONTH, AND LESS OVERTIME WORK WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE CURRENT MONTH IN SEVERAL OTHER FACTORIES SURVEYED.
THE DECLINE IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FOR WORKERS IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY WAS CAUSED BY THE SLACKENED DEMAND FOR SOFT DRINKS AFTER SUMMER.
IN THE CASE OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES, THE DROP IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WAS DUE TO THE AWARD OF BONUSES AND BACK PAY BY TWO OF THE COMPANIES SURVEYED IN THE PRECEDING MONTH.
THE OVERALL VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) AS REPORTED BY THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED FOR OCTOBER 1982 DECLINED SLIGHTLY AS COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH. LESS ORDERS-ON-HAND WERE RECORDED FOR THE PLASTICS, FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, TEXTILES, AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.
THE PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT, PER CAPITA EARNINGS AND ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS ARE SHOWN IN THE
ACCOMPANYING TABLE.
THE SURVEY