XN000022-1987-04-20 — Page 2

MONDAY, APRIL 20, 1987

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

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IN FEBRUARY 1987 THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND (IN TERMS OF MONTHS) AS REPORTED BY THE 200 LARGEST FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR INCREASED COMPARED WITH BOTH JANUARY 1987 AND FEBRUARY 1986, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARING FEBRUARY 1987 WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1986, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND WERE RECORDED IN THE TEXTILES AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES AND, TO A LESSER EXTENT, IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY.

COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1987 THE ORDERS POSITION IN THE TEXTILES, PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES IMPROVED, WHILE THAT IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY DROPPED SLIGHTLY.

IN GENERAL, THE EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS FIGURES FOR THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 1987 IN THE SECTORS SURVEYED WERE AFFECTED BY THE TIMING OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS. CERTAIN SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE CHANGES SHOWN IN THIS RELEASE SHOULD, THEREFORE, BE

INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN FEBRUARY 1987 REMAINED AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL AS IN JANUARY 1987, BUT DROPPED SLIGHTLY BELOW THE LEVEL IN FEBRUARY 1986.

COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1987 THE INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY WAS OFFSET BY THE DECREASES RECORDED IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1986 EMPLOYMENT IN THE WEARING APPAREL AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, WHILE THAT IN ALL OTHER INDUSTRIES SURVEYED ROSE.

ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED RECORDED SUBSTANTIAL DECREASES IN PAYROLL AND IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN FEBRUARY 1987 COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1987 DUE TO THE AWARD OF DOUBLE PAY AND YEAR-END BONUSES IN JANUARY 1987.

COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1986 MOST INDUSTRIES RECORDED SOME INCREASES IN PAYROLL. EXCEPT FOR THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES. PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THESE TWO INDUSTRIES ALSO DECLINED, ALONG WITH THOSE IN THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY.

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IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, EMPLOYMENT IN FEBRUARY 1987 INCREASED SLIGHTLY COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1987. THE INCREASE WAS MORE SIGNIFICANT WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1986. HOWEVER PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER BOTH JANUARY 1987 AND FEBRUARY 1986.

/IN THE