XN000022-1991-07-15 — Page 9

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MONDAY, JULY 15, 1991

THUS, THE FIGURES CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY NOT BR FULLY COMPARABLE WITH THOSE IN THE PREVIOUS REPORTS DUE TO THE CHANGE IN CLASSIFICATION.

THE QUARTERLY SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT, VACANCIES AND PAYROLL AND THE QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT SURVEY OF CONSTRUCTION SITES ALSO PROVIDE VACANCY STATISTICS FOR THE SELECTED MAJOR SECTORS. THE VACANCY DATA TOGETHER WITH A COMPARISON WITH THE CORRESPONDING FIGURES FOR MARCH 1990 AND DECEMBER 1990 ARE AS FOLLOWS:

NUMBER OF REPORTED

VACANCIES IN

SELECTED MAJOR

SECTORS OF THE

ECONOMY

MAR 90

DEC 90

MAR 91

PERCENTAGE CHANGE #

MAR 91 OVER MAR 91 OVER

DEC 90

MAR 90

MANUFACTURING

38,270

28,970

31,760

-17.0

+ 9.6

CONSTRUCTION

3,050

1,330

1,150

-62.

.3

-13.9

(MANUAL WORKERS

ON CONSTRUCTION

SITES ONLY)

WHOLESALE AND **

34,900

27,660

33,240

-4.8

+20.2

RETAIL, IMPORT

AND EXPORT TRADES

AND RESTAURANTS

AND HOTELS

FINANCING,

10,940

8,870

9,150

- 16 .3

+ 3.1

INSURANCE,

REAL ESTATE

AND BUSINESS

SERVICES

#

FIGURES ARE ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST TEN. BASED ON UNROUNDED VACANCY FIGURES. EXCLUDING HAWKERS, STREET VENDORS AND RETAIL PITCHES (OTHER THAN MARKET STALLS)

COMPARED WITH MARCH 1990, THE VACANCY SITUATION IMPROVED IN ALL MAJOR SECTORS, SUGGESTING THAT THE LABOUR MARKET SITUATION HAD BECOME LESS TIGHT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1991. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REPORTED VACANCIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR DECREASED BY 14.2 PER CENT IN MARCH 1991 OVER MARCH 1990.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES ON CONSTRUCTION SITES FELL SIGNIFICANTLY BY 62.3 PER CENT, WHILE THOSE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, THE FINANCING, INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR, AND THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADES, AND RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR FELL BY 17.0 PER CENT, 16.3 PER CENT AND 4.8 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

/COMPARED WITH