XN000022-1988-04-17 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 1988

INCREASED

COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1988, THE VOLUME OF ORDERS SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY AND SLIGHTLY IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES. ON THE OTHER HAND, A DECREASE IN ORDERS WAS THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY.

RECORDED IN

THE IN EXTENT

COMPARING FEBRUARY 1988 WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1987, ORDERS POSITION DROPPED IN MOST INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, PARTICULARLY THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS. INDUSTRIES AND TO A LESSER IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES.

|

HOWEVER,

THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, REPORTED A SLIGHT INCREASE IN ORDERS COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1987.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR DECREASED IN 1988 WHEN COMPARED WITH BOTH JANUARY 1988 AND FEBRUARY 1987.

FEBRUARY

PARTLY AFFECTED BY THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD, EMPLOYMENT ALL INDUSTRIES SURVEYED RECORDED DECREASES IN FEBRUARY 1988 JANUARY 1988.

WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1987, EMPLOYMENT IN FEBRUARY DROPPED IN MOST INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, EXCEPT THE FOOD AND DRINKS FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES IN WHICH SLIGHT EMPLOYMENT WERE RECORDED.

INCREASES

IN FEBRUARY 1988, BOTH PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS MANUFACTURING SECTOR SHOWED SOME DECREASES WHEN COMPARED WITH 1988 BUT INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER FEBRUARY 1987.

IN

OVER

1988

AND

IN

IN THE JANUARY

FIGURES ON

CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED IN INTERPRETING THE PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

THESE FIGURES WERE AFFECTED BY THE TIMING OF THE YEAR HOLIDAYS, WHICH OCCURRED IN LATE JANUARY LAST FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.

LUNAR NEW IN MID

YEAR BUT

THUS, THE TIMING FOR THE ISSUE OF DOUBLE PAY AND BONUSES BY EMPLOYERS TO THEIR WORKERS DIFFERED.

ANNUAL

SIGNIFICANT

OF

PAY AND

COMPARING FEBRUARY 1988 WITH JANUARY 1988, DECREASES IN PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE RECORDED IN SOME THE INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, MAINLY DUE TO THE AWARD ANNUAL BONUSES IN JANUARY 1988.

OF DOUBLE

ON THE OTHER HAND, PAYROLL AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, SOME OF THE FIRMS ISSUED DOUBLE PAY AND

AS

ANNUAL BONUSES

IN FEBRUARY

1988.

/COMPARED WITH