XN000022-1984-10-18 — Page 18

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1984

17

-

STATISTICS ON ORDERS-ON-HAND,

EMPLOYMENT AND PAYROLL OUT

*****

THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN TERMS OF MONTHS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR DECLINED SLIGHTLY IN AUGUST 1984, COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, BUT IT REMAINED AT A RELATIVELY HIGH LEVEL, ACCORDING TO SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

WHILE SLIGHT DECREASES IN ORDERS WERE RECORDED FOR MOST MAJOR INDUSTRIES, LITTLE CHANGE WAS OBSERVED FOR THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY.

COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR FELL, ESPECIALLY IN THE PLASTIC AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, AS SUMMER WORKERS GRADUALLY LEFT EMPLOYMENT. ONLY THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY SHOWED AN INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT, AS SOME BAKERIES EMPLOYED MORE TEMPORARY WORKERS IN PREPARATION FOR THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR DROPPED AS SOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED.

IN THE SERVICES SECTORS, THE EMPLOYMENT LEVEL WAS PRACITICALLY UNCHANGED.

DESPITE SOME DECREASE IN EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES GENERALLY ROSE.

PER CAPITA EARNINGS ALSO ROSE BECAUSE THE PEAK IN EMPLOYMENT THE WAGE RATE FOR SUMMER WORKERS WAS OF SUMMER WORKERS WAS OVER. NORMALLY LOWER.

DECREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE RECORDED IN BOTH THE CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICES SECTORS, REPORTEDLY DUE TO PAYMENT OF MID-YEAR BONUSES IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

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

THE SURVEY COVERED A PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES AND THE 50 LARGEST COMPANIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND SELECTED SERVICES SECTOR CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THE IR EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1983.

AS THE SAMPLE WAS NOT DRAWN ON A RANDOM BASIS, THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT RESULTS ON MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE MIGHT NOT REFLECT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD GIVE A USEFUL INDICATION OF THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE FOR A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ECONOMY IN THE SHORT TERM,

THE SURVEY REPORT FOR AUGUST 1984 IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE, AND THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES COUNTER, AT $1.5 PER COPY.

/ENQUIRIES ABOUT .......