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5.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1985
JULY ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL FIGURES OUT
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THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) IN THE 200 LARGEST FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR REMAINED STABLE IN JULY 1985 COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
THE WEARING APPAREL AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES SHOWED SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR ORDERS POSITION. HOWEVER, A DECLINE IN THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS WAS REPORTED BY MANUFACTURERS IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
INDUSTRIES.
EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AS A WHOLE REMAINED STABLE. AMONG INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES, INCREASES IN EMPLOYMENT WERE REPORTED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY AND, MORE NOTABLY, IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY AS MORE SUMMER WORKERS WERE EMPLOYED. HOWEVER, THESE WERE OFFSET BY DECREASES IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE TEXTILES, FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.
INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE REPORTED IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES MAINLY DUE TO PAYMENTS FOR MORE OVERTIME WORK BY SOME FIRMS. SALARY REVISION AND SEVERANCE PAY ALSO ACCOUNTED FOR PART OF THE INCREASES.
EMPLOYMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE AS SOME NEW PROJECTS STARTED WORK, WHILE THAT IN THE SERVICES SECTOR REMAINED STABLE. BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MOST SERVICES SECTORS INCREASED IN JULY MAINLY DUE TO SALARY REVISION AND PAYMENTS FOR MORE OVERTIME WORK, THE HOTEL SECTOR, HOWEVER, RECORDED A SLIGHT DECLINE IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS.
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