THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1986
SEPTEMBER ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT,
EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL FIGURES OUT *****
THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) IN THE 200 LARGEST FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AS A WHOLE HAD RISEN IN SEPTEMBER 1986 COMPARED WITH THAT OF SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR BUT WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW THAT OF AUGUST THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS WERE REPORTED BY THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, TEXTILES AND WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES. THE VOLUME OF ORDERS IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, HOWEVER, DROPED CONSIDERABLY.
COMPARED WITH AUGUST, THE TEXTILES AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES SHOWED AN INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS, WHILE THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS, WEARING APPAREL AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES REPORTED A DECLINE IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS.
THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR FELL IN SEPTEMBER 1986 COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR. IT WAS ALSO BELOW THE LEVEL IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH MAINLY DUE TO THE DEPARTURE OF SUMMER WORKERS.
SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BOTH PAYROLL AND CAPITA EARNINGS IN SEPTEMBER 1986 OVER THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR WERE RECORDED IN THE INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, PARTICULARLY THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.
THE SEPTEMBER 1986 PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE LATTER INDUSTRY WERE ALSO SIGNIFICIANTLY ABOVE THOSE IN AUGUST, DUE TO THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES BY SOME FIRMS.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT OVER THE PREVIOUS MONTH AS SOME FIRMS STARTED NEW PROJECTS IN SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER, EMPLOYMENT WAS STILL BELOW THAT OF THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR. PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THOSE IN AUGUST LAST YEAR.
/THE LEVEL