XN000022-1982-05-17 — Page 2

MONDAY, MAY 17, 1982

SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL AND ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR MARCH 1982

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY) RELEASED STATISTICS FROM THE MONTHLY SURVEY FOR MARCH 1982, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED ON A PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES (CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT SIZE IN SEPTEMBER 1979) AS WELL AS OF THE 43 LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTED SERVICES SECTORS.

AS THE SAMPLE WAS NOT DRAWN ON A RANDOM BASIS, THE RESULTS ON MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE MIGHT NOT REFLECT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, BUT SHOULD GIVE USEFUL INDICATIONS OF THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE FOR A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY IN THE SHORT TERM.

ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED, EMPLOYMENT INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ON ACCOUNT OF MORE ORDERS-ON-HAND. HOWEVER, EMPLOYMENT DECLINED IN THE WEARING APPAREL, TEXTILES AND, MORÉ NOTABLY, THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES AS A RESULT OF LABOUR TURNOVER AND THE LAY-OFF OF WORKERS BY ONE ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS FACTORY SURVEYED.

PER CAPITA EARNINGS ROSE GENERALLY IN THE MANUFACTURING, CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICES SECTORS AS A RESULT OF WAGE ADJUSTMENTS. IN THE CASE OF MANUFACTURING, THE INCREASE WAS ALSO DUE TO MORE DAYS BEING WORKED BY OPERATIVES DURING THE MONTH.

WITHIN MANUFACTURING, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE RECORDED FOR THE PLASTICS AND TEXTILES INDUSTRIES, FOLLOWED BY FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND FOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES. A SLIGHT DECREASE IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS WAS HOWEVER RECORDED FOR THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY.

THE OVERALL VOLUME OF ORDERS (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) HELD BY THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED DECREASED SLIGHTLY IN MARCH 1982 AS COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, ORDERS ROSE IN THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY BUT DECLINED IN THE WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

THE PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT, PER CAPITA EARNINGS AND ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS ARE SHOWN IN THE ACCOMPANYING TABLE (WHICH WILL BE SENT TO YOU BY FACSIMILE).

THE SURVEY REPORT FOR MARCH 1982 IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE, AT $1.5 PER COPY. ENQUIRIES ON THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE MADE TO THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (AT 3-7221914).