SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1985
5
FEBRUARY ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL FIGURES OUT
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THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN TERMS OF MONTHS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN FEBRUARY 1985 WAS SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
WHILE INCREASES IN ORDERS-ON-HAND WERE REPORTED IN THE PLASTIC AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, ORDER POSITIONS IN OTHER MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE.
COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, EMPLOYMENT IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES DECREASED AS SOME WORKERS LEFT THEIR JOBS AROUND THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.
CONTINUED INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE REPORTED BY MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES DUE TO THE PAYMENT OF YEAR-END BONUSES AND DOUBLE PAY. HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY AS MOST FI RMS HAD PAID YEAR-END BONUSES IN JANUARY.
LABOUR TURNOVER ON THE APPROACH OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR ALSO CAUSED THE NUMBER OF OPERATIVES EMPLOYED BY CONSTRUCTION FIRMS TO DECLINE. PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WENT UP BECAUSE OF DOUBLE PAY AND YEAR-END BONUSES.
IN THE SERVICES SECTORS HOWEVER, SUBSTANTIAL DECREASES IN PAY-ROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE REPORTED BECAUSE MOST OF THE FIRMS HAD ALREADY DISTRIBUTED THEIR ANNUAL BONUSES AND DOUBLE PAY IN JANUARY.
THE EMPLOYMENT LEVEL IN THE SERVICES SECTORS WAS STABLE, EXCEPT FOR A VERY SLIGHT DECLINE IN THAT OF HOTELS.
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