XN000022-1988-08-12 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1988

IN

FIRMS IN DIFFERENT TRADE COMMUNICATION, REAL ESTATE AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS THE GENERAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT

THE OTHER SERVICES SECTOR,

AND CATEGORIES (1.E. TRANSPORT, STORAGE

BANKS DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED SERVICES, SERVICES) REPORTED A FAVOURABLE IMPROVEMENT IN SITUATION IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND THEY EXPECT A FURTHER IN BUSINESS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER,

ABOUT 1,000

FORMING A CROSS-SECTION OF THE

FROM FIRMS

THE SURVEY EXPECTATIONS. THE SURVEY

AND WERE

ASKED

ABOUT

THEIR

VARIOUS INDUSTRIES COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC

PARTICIPATED BUSINESS EXPERIENCES

AND

BUSINESSES,

BUSINESS

IN AND PROBLEMS FACED BY

FIRMS.

ALSO COVERED

REGARDING THE PROBLEMS FACED

BY FIRMS IN THE ΤΟ CONTINUED

MANUFACTURING BE AFFECTED BY THE SKILLED BOTH

AND UNSKILLED.

SECTOR, FIRMS REPORTED THAT THEY PROBLEM OF LABOUR SHORTAGE,

INCLUDING

THIS PROBLEM 18 EXPECTED TO REMAIN PROMINENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER.

IN ADDITION, HIGH MATERIAL PRICES WERE ALSO REPORTED

BY FIRMS

IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR BOTH THE SECOND AND THIRD QUARTERS.

THESE INCLUDE

THE PRINTING,

FOOD,

BEVERAGE

AND

PLASTICS

AND

TOBACCO, ELECTRICAL

IN FIRMS FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, MACHINERY, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES INDUSTRIES.

AS FOR THE

CONSTRUCTION

THE SFCTOR,

NUMBER OF

RESPONDENTS HAD INCREASED.

REGARDING THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED LABOUR AS A PROBLEM THE PROBLEM IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN PROMINENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER.

HIGII QUOTED

WAGE RATES WHILE A SIZEABLE PROPORTION OF FIRMS

BOTH AND SHORTAGE OF LABOUR GENERALLY AS THE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS FOR

FROM THE SECOND AND THIRD QUARTERS, THE PROBLEMS OF PRICE COMPETITION

HAD BECOME LESS WIDELY FIRMS IN HONG KONG AND HIGH MATERIAL PRICES REPORTED AMONG CONSTRUCTION FIRMS.

IN FIRMS

RESTAURANTS AND

THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT

SERVICES HOTELS AND OTHER

OF SHORTAGE AFFECTED BY THE PROBLEMS OF

SECTORS

TRADES, WERE COMMONLY STAFF GENERALLY AND HIGH

STAFF TURNOVER.

EXPERIENCED STAFF WAS A IN ADDITION, SHORTAGE OF PROBLEM REPORTED BY HOTELS AND BANKS IN THE SECOND SITUATION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IN THE THIRD QUARTER.

QUARTER

PROMINENT AND THIS

AFFECTED FIRMS IN THE BANKS SECTORS To REMAIN

THE PROBLEM OF PRICE COMPETITION ALSO WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, HOTELS AND EXTENSIVELY IN THE SECOND QUARTER. THE PROBLEM IS EXPECTED SIGNIFICANT IN THE THIRD QUARTER.

/ACCORDING TO