XN000022-1987-12-20 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1987

OCTOBER ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL FIGURES RELEASED

THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND REPORTED BY THE 200 LARGEST FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR DROPPED SLIGHTLY WHEN COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH,

BUT WAS AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL AS IN OCTOBER 1986, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND, MEASURED IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF MONTHS, REFERS TO THE POSITION AS AT THE END OF THE REFERENCE MONTH.

COMPARING OCTOBER 1987 WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1986, THE VOLUME OF ORDERS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, WHILE THAT IN THE WEARING APPAREL, FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES SHOWED SOME INCREASES.

WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1987, THE ORDERS POSITION IN OCTOBER 1987 DROPPED IN MOST INDUSTRIES, OF WHICH THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY RECORDED THE LARGEST DROP. ON THE OTHER HAND, AN IMPROVED ORDERS POSITION WAS RECORDED IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR SHOWED A DECREASE IN OCTOBER 1987 WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1987 AND WITH OCTOBER 1986.

COMPARING OCTOBER 1987 WITH SEPTEMBER 1987, EMPLOYMENT IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY DROPPED CONSIDERABLY WHILE THAT IN THE OTHER INDUSTRIES SHOWED LITTLE OR NO CHANGE.

COMPARED WITH OCTOBER 1986. EMPLOYMENT DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY. ON THE OTHER HAND, EMPLOYMENT IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS, TEXTILES AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES INCREASED SLIGHTLY.

IN OCTOBER 1987, BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR INCREASED COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1987 AND WITH

OCTOBER 1986.

COMPARING OCTOBER 1987 WITH SEPTEMBER 1987, INCREASES IN PAYROLL WERE RECORDED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS, WEARING APPAREL AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES WHILST DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE TEXTILES, PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES. THE LATTER INDUSTRIES ALSO RECORDED A SLIGHT DROP IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

/COMPARING THE