XN000022-1988-10-16 — Page 2

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1988

AUGUST ORDERS-ON-HAND EMPLOYMENT AND PAYROLL FIGURES

IN AUGUST 1988, THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND REPORTED BY THE 200 LARGEST FIRMS IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR DECREASED BY 1 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JULY 1988 AND 3 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1987, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARING AUGUST 1988 WITH JULY 1988, THE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, MODERATELY IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, AND SLIGHTLY IN THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD OF COMPARISON, THE ORDERS POSITION INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, WHILE THAT IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE.

COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1987, THE ORDERS POSITION IN AUGUST 1988 DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES AND MODERATELY IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY, BUT INCREASED MODERATELY IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY AND SLIGHTLY IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.

THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF MONTHS AND REFERS TO ORDERS OUTSTANDING AS AT THE END OF THE REFERENCE MONTH.

ON EMPLOYMENT, THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED REPORTED THAT THE AUGUST 1988 LEVEL WAS LOWER BY 4 PER CENT AND 6 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JULY 1988 AND AUGUST 1987 RESPECTIVELY.

COMPARED WITH JULY 1988, EMPLOYMENT IN AUGUST 1988 DECREASED IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, PARTICULARLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, AS MANY SUMMER WORKERS RECRUITED IN THE PRECEDING MONTHS BEGAN TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS.

COMPARING AUGUST 1988 WITH AUGUST 1987, A GENERAL DECLINE IN EMPLOYMENT WAS RECORDED IN MOST INDUSTRIES SURVEYED. IN PARTICULAR, THE DECREASE IN EMPLOYMENT IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING FIRMS SURVEYED INCREASED, IN CURRENT PRICE TERMS, BY 4 PER CENT AND 17 PER CENT IN AUGUST 1988 OVER JULY 1988 AND AUGUST 1987 RESPECTIVELY.

COMPARED WITH JULY 1988, PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN AUGUST 1988 INCREASED IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, PARTICULARLY IN THE TEXTILES AND PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

THE INCREASES