XN000022-1985-03-20 — Page 10

MARCH 27, 19:

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LATEST STATISTICS ON ORDERS-ON-HAND OUT

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THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN TERMS OF MONTHS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR DECLINED SLIGHTLY IN JANUARY 1985

COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO THE FIGURES RELEASE. TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

WHILE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ORDERS WAS REPORTED IN THE FABRICATED METAL INDUSTRY, SOME DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE WEARING APPAREL, TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AS A WHOLE REMAINED STABLE. A SLIGHT INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT WAS REPORTED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY. HOWEVER, DECLINES WERE REPORTED IN THE WEARING APPAREL, TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE REPORTED BY ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES BECAUSE OF THE PAYMENT OF ANNUAL BONUS AND DOUBLE PAY.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR DECLINED SLIGHTLY WHILE THAT IN THE SERVICES SECTORS REMAINED UNCHANGED.

INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE ALSO REPORTED BY RESPONDENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICES SECTORS BECAUSE OF DOUBLE PAY AND YEAR-END BONUS. WITHIN THE SERVICES SECTORS, HOWEVER, REPORTED DECLINES IN BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS BECAUSE SOME BANKS SURVEYED HAD ALREADY DISTRIBUTED THE IR BONUS IN DECEMBER.

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 SECTORS CHOSEN BY REFERENCE TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 4003.

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 JA'UARY 1935 IS NOW ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GENEPAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, AND THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES COUNTER, KAI TAK COMMERCIAL BUILDING, AT 1.50 PER COPY.

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