XN000022-1987-03-25 — Page 41

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THERE WAS A COMMON COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S REPUTATION AS A WELL-REGULATED AND PROPERLY-RUN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE, HE ADDED.

MR JACOBS HAILED THE OPENING OF THE UNIFIED STOCK EXCHANGE AS A +LANDMARK IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SECURITIES INDUSTRY+.

+ IN THE FIRST MONTH OF BUSINESS, TURNOVER AVERAGED $440 MILLION WHICH IN ITSELF REPRESENTED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE AGGREGATE TURNOVER OF THE FOUR PREVIOUS EXCHANGES. NOW, DAILY TURNOVER EXCEEDING $1 BILLION IS COMMONPLACE,+

THE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OF THE STOCK MARKET OVER THE PAST YEAR, MR JACOBS WENT ON, WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING THE THRIVING ECONOMY, THE MODERN AND EFFICIENT FACILITIES OF THE UNIFIED STOCK EXCHANGE AND HONG KONG'S CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT AS A CENTRE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF UNIT TRUSTS AND MUTUAL FUNDS WHICH ATTRACTED A HOST OF FUND MANAGERS AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS.

EARLIER MR JACOBS PRAISED THE QUALITY OF THE ESSAYS IN THE COMPETITION AS TRULY IMPRESSIVE AND SAID THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES WAS AN INDICATION OF THE WIDESPREAD INTEREST IN THE STOCK MARKET.

EMPLOYMENT, VACANCIES, PAYROLL SURVEY STARTS

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT HAS STARTED TO CONDUCT THE MARCH 1987 ROUND OF THE SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT, VACANCIES AND PAYROLL IN MAJOR SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT, VACANCIES AND PAYROLL IN RESPECT OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1987.

THE SURVEY IS CONDUCTED QUARTERLY AND THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE USEFUL IN PROVIDING SHORT-TERM ECONOMIC INDICATORS AS WELL AS INFORMATION ON THE STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE LABOUR MARKET IN HONG KONG.

THIS ROUND OF THE SURVEY COVERS ABOUT 88 000 ESTABLISHMENTS WHICH ARE DRAWN FROM VARIOUS SECTORS INCLUDING THE DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES SECTOR (WHOLESALE, RETAIL, IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS), THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR (MINING AND QUARRYING: MANUFACTURING ELECTRICITY AND GAS), WITH FULL ENUMERATION OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE SERVICES SECTOR (TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND COMMUNICATION FINANCING, INSURANCE REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS SERVICES; COMMUNITY, SOCIAL AND PERSONAL SERVICES).

INFORMATION ON NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED AND EXISTING VACANCIES ON MARCH 31 WILL BE SOUGHT FROM EACH SAMPLE ESTABLISHMENT.

SOME 10 000