FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1984
ORDERS-ON-HAND, JOB AND PAYROLL FIGURES RELEASED
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THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN TERMS OF MONTHS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR REMAINED LARGELY STABLE IN SEPTEMBER 1984 COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
WHILE SLIGHT DECREASES IN ORDERS WERE RECORDED IN MOST INDUSTRIES, SOME INCREASE WAS REPORTED IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.
COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, NOTABLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES FELL, AS SUMMER WORKERS CONTINUED TO LEAVE EMPLOYMENT.
THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY ALSO RECORDED A DECLINE IN EMPLOYMENT AS TEMPORARY WORKERS, WHO HAD BEEN RECRUITED ESPECIALLY FOR THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL, LEFT.
THE NUMBER OF OPERATIVES IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR CONTINUED TO FALL, ALTHOUGH AT A SLOWER RATE, AS SOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED.
IN THE SERVICES SECTORS, LITTLE CHANGE IN THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT WAS REPORTED, APART FROM A SLIGHT INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT IN HOTELS.
BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN SOME MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES DECREASED BECAUSE OF LESS OVERTIME WORK IN SEPTEMBER AND THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES BY SOME FIRMS IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
DECREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE ALSO RECORDED IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR AS LESS OVERTIME WORK WAS PERFORMED IN SEPTEMBER, INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE, HOWEVER, RECORDED IN THE SERVICES SECTORS.
THE PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS ARE SHOWN IN THE TABLES BELOW.
THE SURVEY COVERED A PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES AND THE 50 LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTED SERVICES SECTORS, CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1983.
AS THE SAMPLE WAS NOT DRAWN ON A RANDOM BASIS, THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT RESULTS ON MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE MIGHT NOT REFLECT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD GIVE A USEFUL INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE FOR A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY IN THE SHORT TERM.
THE SURVEY