XN000022-1986-07-20 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JULY 20, 1986

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MAY ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL FIGURES OUT

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THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) IN THE 200 LARGEST FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR INCREASED IN MAY COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

APPRECIABLE INCREASES IN THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS WERE REPORTED BY THE WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS

INDUSTRIES WHILST THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY REPORTED NO CHANGE. IN CONTRAST, THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES RECORDED SOME DECLINES IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS.

AN INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT WAS RECORDED FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AS A WHOLE WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASES BEING REPORTED BY MANUFACTURERS IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, DUE TO THE RECRUITMENT OF SUMMER WORKERS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY REPORTED NO CHANGE IN THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION.

THERE WAS A GENERAL INCREASE IN THE PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AS SOME FIRMS REVISED THE SALARIES OF THEIR EMPLOYEES IN MAY. IN ADDITION, SOME FIRMS REPORTED THAT MORE OVERTIME PAYMENTS WERE MADE.

THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY RECORDED A DECREASE IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS BECAUSE LOWER WAGES WERE PAID TO SUMMER WORKERS. INCREASES IN BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE ALSO REPORTED BY FIRMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR.

HOWEVER, PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE SERVICES SECTORS DECREASED DUE TO THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES AND GRATUITIES IN APRIL. ON THE OTHER HAND, BANKS REPORTED SLIGHT INCREASES BECAUSE OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS IN MAY.

A SLIGHT DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED WAS RECORDED IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR AS SOME OPERATIVES WERE LA ID-OFF AFTER THE COMPLETION OF SOME PROJECTS, A STABLE OVERALL EMPLOYMENT SITUATION WAS REPORTED BY THE SERVICES SECTORS.

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 THE IR EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1983.

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