FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1989
INDUSTRIES AND
BUSINESSES,
ABOUT 1.000 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS FORMING A CROSS-SECTION OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY AND
AND WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS EXPERIENCES
T11E
EXPECTATIONS.
FIRMS.
SURVEY ALSO COVERED BUSINESS
PROBLEMS
FACED BY
AS REGARDS THE PROBLEMS-FACED BY FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR. THE PROBLEMS OF SHORTAGE OF LABOUR GENERALLY AND SHORTAGE
THE IN SKILLED LABOUR AFFECTED MOST OF THE RESPONDING FIRMS QUARTER.
1$
OF
FIRST
AFFECTING
EXPECTED
TO
IN ADDITION, 111GH LABOUR TURNOVER WAS ALSO A PROBLEM SOMB
TRE OF
INDUSTRIES SURVEYED,
SITUATION CONTINUE IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
SHORTAGE
THIS
LABOUR WERE QUARTER.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. THE PROBLEMS OF SHORTAGE OF GENERALLY.
OF
LABOUR AND HIGH SKILLED
WAGE RATES
REPORTED BY THE
FIRST MAJORITY OF FIRMS SURVEYED IN THE THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
SECTOR AS
OF
THE FIRST
MANY FIRMS IN THE DISTRIBUTIVE AND CATERING TRADES WELL AS THE "OTHER SERVICES" SECTOR WERE AFFECTED BY THE PROBLEMS
IN STAFF GENERALLY AND HIGH STAFF TURNOVER SHORTAGE OF QUARTER.
WITH
IN
ADDITION,
TNE SHORTAGE
MANY FIRMS IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY OF EXPERIENCED STAFF, WHILE
WERE
MANY
CONCERNED
BANKS WERE
CONCERNED WITH HIGH STAFF COSTS. THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
RESULTS,
SURVEY ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT,
OBTAINED WITH A MINIMUM TIME LAG, ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE
REFERENCE FOR SOURCE OF
MAKING A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION OF HONG KONG.
THE
A
IN THE SURVEY. PARTICIPATING FIRMS WERE ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER, IN THEIR OPINION, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND LEVEL OF CAPACITY
HAD UTILISATION
"IMPROVED",
SAME" OR "REMAINED THE "DETERIORATED" IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1989 AS COMPARED WITH PRECEDING QUARTER.
THE
THEY WERE
EXPECTED TO SECOND
ALSO IMPROVE", QUARTER OF 1989.
ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER THE SITUATION
"REMAIN THE SAME" OR "DETERIORATE" IN THE
IS
OPINIONS THE
AND TABULATED
ON THE DIFFERENT
ANALYSED. BUSINESS
ECONOMIC
OF RESPONDENTS WERE MOREOVER, THE SURVEY REPORT CONTAINS A SECTION PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED AND
IN EXPECTED BY FIRMS SECTORS AND A BREAKDOWN OF THE VIEWS OF FIRMS BY SIZE GROUPS.
SHOULD
THE THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT, IN A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE, RESULTS
BE INTERPRETED
IS WITH CAUTION AS IT
DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH PRECISELY THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESPONDENTS RECOLLECTION OF
AND PERCEPTION OF THE FUTURE ACCORDS PAST
THE TRENDS.
THE WITH
UNDERLYING
/MEMBERS OF