XN000022-1983-02-17 — Page 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1983

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MONTHLY SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL AND ORDERS-ON-HAND

FOR DECEMBER 1982 ****

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) RELEASED STATISTICS FROM THE MONTHLY SURVEY FOR DECEMBER 1982. THE SURVEY COVERED A PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES (CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT SIZE IN SEPTEMBER 1979) AS WELL AS 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 A USEFUL INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE FOR A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY IN THE SHORT TERM.

TAKING ALL THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED AS A WHOLE, EMPLOYMENT DECLINED SLIGHTLY IN DECEMBER 1982 COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH. THE TEXTILES, PLASTIC PRODUCTS, ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES WERE AMONG THOSE WITH DECLINES IN EMPLOYMENT RECORDED OWING TO THE RETRENCHMENT OF WORKERS BY SOME FACTORIES.

PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS INCREASED IN MOST OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED DUE TO THE AWARD OF YEAR-END BONUSES AND DOUBLE PAY TO EMPLOYEES IN A NUMBER OF FACTORIES SURVEYED, AND SEVERANCE PAY GIVEN TO THE WORKERS LAID OFF BY A FEW OTHERS. HOWEVER, THEY DROPPED IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND PLASTICS INDUSTRIES BECAUSE OF LESS OVERTIME WORK CARRIED OUT DURING DECEMBER, AND THE AWARD OF BACKPAY AND SEVERANCE PAY BY A FEW FACTORIES SURVEYED IN THE PRECEDING MONTH.

IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, EMPLOYMENT DECLINED DUE TO THE RETRENCHMENT OF EMPLOYEES BY SEVERAL COMPANIES SURVEYED. PER CAPITA EARNINGS INCREASED ON ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERANCE PAY GIVEN TO THOSE LAID OFF, AND THE AWARD OF DOUBLE PAY.

IN THE SERVICES SECTOR, PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE BANKS AND HOTELS SURVEYED AS DOUBLE PAY AND YEAR-END BONUSES WERE AWARDED TO EMPLOYEES.

THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) AS REPORTED BY THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED FOR DECEMBER 1982 INCREASED SLIGHTLY AS COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH.

ORDERS-ON-HAND INCREASED IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, WEARING APPAREL AND THE +OTHERS+ CATEGORY OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR. HOWEVER,

HOWEVER, THEY REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE IN THE TEXTILES, PLASTICS, AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS WORKED PER WEEK BY OPERATIVES DECREASED SLIGHTLY IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY BUT INCREASED IN THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY AS A FEW FACTORIES SURVEYED REVERTED TO A SIX-DAY WORKING WEEK IN DECEMBER.

THE PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN EMPLOYMENT, PER CAPITA EARNINGS AND ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS ARE SHOWN IN THE

ACCOMPANYING TABLE.

THE SURVEY