FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1991
HIGHER RETAIL
LIFTED THE
TEMPORARILY AUGUST.
PRICES
FOR
CERTAIN INFLATION RATE IN THE
ESSENTIAL
OF MONTHS
FOODSTUFFS JULY AND
THERE WERE ALSO INCREASES IN HOUSING RENTALS AND IN THE OF CERTAIN LOCAL SERVICES.
PRICES
COMPARED
HOWEVER, SIGNS OF MODERATION RE-EMERGED IN SEPTEMBER. WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, THE CPI(A) WAS HIGHER BY 12.6% IN JULY, 12.7% IN AUGUST, AND 11.5% IN SEPTEMBER.
THE
THE GDP DEFLATOR, AS AN OVERALL INDICATOR OF INFLATION FOR ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, ROSE BY ABOUT 9% IN THE SECOND QUARTER OVER A YEAR EARLIER.
INDICES, IT ROSE AT A LESS RAPID RATE THAN THE CONSUMER PRICE MAINLY DUE TO MORE MODERATE INCREASES IN THE PRICES OF EXPORTS AND OF PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, IN THE PRICES OF BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT.
LABOUR THE
IN THE THIRD MARKET APPEARED TO HAVE TIGHTENED
RATE IN THE THIRD QUARTER. THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT
THAN IN THE QUARTER, AT 2.1%, WAS 0.3 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT LOWER PRECEDING QUARTER, THOUGH 0.4 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT HIGHER THAN IN THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR,
A PERCENTAGE PERCENTAGE
THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE, AT 1.5%, WAS 0.2 OF POINT LOWER THAN IN THE PRECEDING QUARTER, THOUGH 0.5 OF A
YEAR. HIGHER POINT
THAN IN THE SAME QUARTER LAST
PROPORTION
EMPLOYED
YEAR
THE OF THE IN THE SECOND QUARTER, POPULATION WORKING LONG HOURS INCREASED SLIGHTLY COMPARED WITH A EARLIER.
ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES FELL ACROSS THE BOARD, EMPLOYMENT CONTINUED TO RISE.
THE
THE PROPERTY
MARKET
TOTAL
VARIED AMONG SUB- GATHERED MORE MEMORANDUM RELATED
OF PERFORMANCE SECTORS. THE MARKET FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED FLATS STRENGTH IN JULY AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE SINO-BRITISH OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW AIRPORT AND PROJECTS. THE DEMAND FOR LARGE FLATS ALSO IMPROVED FURTHER.
PROPERTY MARKET, AGAIN DURING THE A NUMBER OF
RESIDENTIAL IN THE ACTIVITIES SPECULATIVE WHICH HAD SUBSIDED SOMEWHAT IN JUNE, INTENSIFIED THIRD QUARTER. THIS PROMPTED THE GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT MEASURES WITH A VIEW TO CURBING PROPERTY SPECULATION.
THE MARKET THE MARKET FOR SHOPPING SPACE REMAINED STEADY. OFFICE SPACE CONTINUED TO ADJUST TO THE OVER-SUPPLY SITUATION, THE MARKET FOR FACTORY PREMISES WAS STILL RELATIVELY QUIET,
FOR WHILE
IN THE
SECTOR, FINANCIAL
OBSERVED DURING THE THIRD QUARTER.
THE
FOLLOWING
DEVELOPMENTS
WERE
/FIRST, AFFECTED