XN000022-1991-05-18 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1991

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MARCH ORDERS-ON-HAND,

EMPLOYMENT AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FIGURES RELEASED

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IN MARCH 1991, THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND REPORTED BY THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES INCREASED BY 2% WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1991 AND BY 1% WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH 1990, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (SATURDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1991, THE AVERAGE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON- HAND IN MARCH 1991 INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY. OVER THE SAME PERIOD, ORDERS INCREASED TEXTILES AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WEARING APPAREL AND PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

SLIGHTLY IN THE INDUSTRIES, BUT FABRICATED METAL

COMPARED WITH MARCH 1990, THE ORDERS POSITION IN MARCH 1991 INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES, BUT DECREASED SLIGHTLY IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND THE TEXTILES INDUSTRIES.

OTHER HAND, ORDERS IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE 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 MARCH 1991 SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1991, BUT DECREASED BY 10% WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH 1990.

COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1991, EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1991 INCREASED SLIGHTLY IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY, BUT DECREASED SLIGHTLY IN MOST OTHER MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED.

COMPARED WITH MARCH 1990, EMPLOYMENT IN MARCH 1991 DECREASED IN MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, WITH SUBSTANTIAL DECREASES RECORDED IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE TEXTILES INDUSTRIES. OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY REPORTED LITTLE CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT.

IN MARCH 1991, PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING

COMPANIES SURVEYED DECREASED BY 12% IN MONEY TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1991. MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED REPORTED DECREASES IN PER CAPITA BARNINGS IN MARCH 1991, FOLLOWING THE 19SUE OF DOUBLE PAY AND ANNUAL BONUSES IN FEBRUARY 1991 BY SOME MANUFACTURING COMPANIES SURVEYED.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD, A SLIGHT INCREASE IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS WAS RECORDED IN THE FOOD AND DRINKS INDUSTRY.

COMPARED WITH MARCH 1990, PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN MARCH 1991 INCREASED BY 15% IN MONEY TERMS. INCREASES IN PER CAPITA EARNINGS WERE RECORDED IN ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED, WITH THE LARGEST INCREASES RECORDED IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS, FOOD AND DRINKS, AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

/IN THE