XN000022-1987-02-20 — Page 13

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1987

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DECEMBER 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 DECEMBER 1986 COMPARED WITH THAT IN DECEMBER 1985 AS WELL AS THAT IN NOVEMBER 1986, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARING DECEMBER 1986 WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1985, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS WERE REPORTED IN THE WEARING APPAREL, TEXTILES AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY RECORDED A DROP IN ITS ORDERS POSITION.

COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1986, THE VOLUME OF ORDERS IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS, FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES INCREASED, WHILE THAT IN THE WEAR ING APPAREL AND TEXTILES INDUSTRIES REMAINED STABLE.

THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AS A WHOLE WAS UNCHANGED IN DECEMBER 1986 COMPARED WITH THAT IN DECEMBER 1985 AS WELL AS THAT IN NOVEMBER 1986. WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, SEVERAL INDUSTRIES RECORDED INCREASES IN EMPLOYMENT OVER DECEMBER 1985, INCLUDING THE FOOD AND DRINKS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE RECORDED FOR THE WEARING APPAREL AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES. WHEN COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1986, EMPLOYMENT IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY WENT UP SLIGHTLY WHILE THAT IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES RECORDED SOME DECLINE.

ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, EXCEPT THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCT INDUSTRY, RECORDED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PAYROLL AND IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN DECEMBER 1986 OVER THE SAME MONTH IN 1985.

COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1986, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE RECORDED FOR ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED EXCEPT THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.

PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE HIGHER IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER DUE TO THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES AND MORE OVERTIME WORK IN SOME OF THE FACTORIES SURVEYED.

IN THE