XN000022-1977-05-31 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1977

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EMPLOYMENT IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY DROPS SLIGHTLY

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A TOTAL OF 756,300 PERSONS WERE ENGAGED IN MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS AS AT MARCH 15, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST EMPLOYMENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS REPRESENTED A DECLINE OF ABOUT 17,400 PERSONS OR 2.2 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 773,700 PERSONS ENGAGED IN DECEMBER 1976.

INDUSTRIES WHERE DECREASED EMPLOYMENT OCCURRED INCLUDED GARMENTS, COTTON WEAVING, ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS, HANDBAGS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS.

WHEN COMPARED WITH 698,800 PERSONS ENGAGED IN MARCH 1976, HOWEVER, MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1977 WAS HIGHER BY 57,500 PERSONS OR 8.2 PER CENT,

IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, THE FIVE LARGEST INDUSTRY GROUPS REMAINED WEARING APPAREL, TEXTILES, ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES, PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS.

A COMPARISON OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN DECEMBER 1976 AND MARCH 1977 ARE GIVEN BELOW :

PERSONS

PERSONS

PERSONS

CHANGE OF MARCH 1977 OVER DEC. 1976

ENGAGED IN ENGAGED IN ENGAGED IN PERSONS MARCH 1976 DEC. 1976 MARCH 1977 ENGAGED

INDUSTRY

GROUP

%

CHANGE

WEARING APPAREL 249,883

TEXTILES

265,913

114,973 115,912

259,380 -6,533

-2.5

110,144

-5,768

-5.0

ELECTRICAL MACHINERY,

APPLIANCES AND

SUPPLIES

67,224

88,057

85,828

-2,229

-2.5

PLASTIC PRODUCTS 66,485 76,994

77,156

162

+0.2

FABRICATED METAL

PRODUCTS

58,221 69,781

68,635

-1,146

-1.6

MAIN INCREASES AND DECREASES AT THE INDUSTRY SECTOR LEVEL BETWEEN DECEMBER 1976 AND MARCH 1977 ARE AS FOLLOWS :

/CHANGE OF