11
MONDAY, MAY 18, 1987
QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED
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THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AS REPORTED BY FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR REMAINED LARGELY STABLE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1987 COMPARED WITH THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1986, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT. FIRMS ACROSS ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BUSINESS PROSPECTS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1987.
FIRMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR EXPERIENCED AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER. THE UPTREND IN BUSINESS 13 EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
AS FOR THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR, BUSINESS EXPERIENCES OF FIRMS VARIED AMONG FIRMS IN DIFFERENT TRADES IN THE FIRST QUARTER. ON BALANCE, THE BUSINESS SITUATION FOR THE SECTOR REMAINED GOOD, AS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1986. AS REGARD BUSINESS PROSPECTS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER, FIRMS EXPECT THE BUSINESS SITUATION TO IMPROVE.
THE MAJORITY OF RESPONDING FIRMS IN THE BANKS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED SERVICES BUSINESS REPORTED AN THE IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS SITUATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER. BUSINESS CONDITION IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE FURTHER IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1987.
FIRMS IN THE TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND COMMUNICATION BUSINESS INDICATED THAT THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION EXPERIENCED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1987 WAS AS FAVOURABLE AS THAT EXPERIENCED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1986. ALSO, OPTIMISM REGARDING THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK FOR THE SECOND QUARTER IS REFLECTED BY RESPONDING FIRMS.
ABOUT 1 000 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESSES FORMING A CROSS-SECTION OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY AND WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS ́ EXPERIENCES AND EXPECTATIONS.
WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, EXPERIENCES OF FIRMS IN INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES VARIED IN THE FIRST QUARTER. AS COMPARED WITH FIRMS IN THE OTHER INDUSTRIES, FIRMS IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY ACHIEVED BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER. AS FOR OTHER INDUSTRIES, MILD IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS WAS REPORTED BY FIRMS IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES INDUSTRIES WHILE FIRMS IN THE WEARING APPAREL AND TEXTILES INDUSTRIES EXPERIENCED SOME DECLINE IN BUSINESS.
/AS REGARDS