XN000022-1990-11-17 — Page 7

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1990

SEPT ORDERS-ON-HAND, EMPLOYMENT AND PAYROLL FIGURES RELEASED

* * * * *

THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN SEPTEMBER 1990, REPORTED BY THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990, BUT DECREASED BY 1 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1989, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (SATURDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990, THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IN SEPTEMBER 1990 DECREASED MODERATELY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, BUT SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE IN ALL OTHER MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED.

COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1989, THE ORDERS POSITION IN SEPTEMBER 1990 DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT IN THE TEXTILES WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES.

AND

ON THE OTHER HAND, ORDERS IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY INCREASED MODERATELY OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

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 THEIR TOTAL WORKFORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1990 DECREASED BY 2 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990, AND BY 11 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED SEPTEMBER 1989.

WITH

1990

COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990, EMPLOYMENT IN SEPTEMBER DECREASED MODERATELY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT IN MOST OTHER MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED. DECREASES WERE PARTLY DUE TO THE DEPARTURE OF SUMMER WORKERS IN THE PRECEDING MONTHS BY SOME COMPANIES SURVEYED.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD,

INDUSTRY SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE.

THESE

EMPLOYED

EMPLOYMENT IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS

COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1989, EMPLOYMENT IN SEPTEMBER 1990 DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, WITH THE LARGEST DECREASES RECORDED IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS, THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS AND TEXTILES INDUSTRIES.

HOWEVER, A SLIGHT INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT WAS REPORTED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

IN SEPTEMBER 1990, PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES SURVEYET) INCREASED BY 4 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH AUGUST 1990.

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