XN000022-1992-03-20 — Page 10

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1992

COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1991, ORDERS IN LITTLE CHANGE FOR THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

JANUARY 1992 SHOWED

MODERATE INCREASE WEARING APPAREL AND

A

THE

THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY REPORTED WHILE SLIGHT DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

ORDERS POSITION FOR THE TEXTILES AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE.

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 JANUARY 1992 DECREASED BY 10 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1991.

DECREASES IN EMPLOYMENT WERE RECORDED IN ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT DECREASES RECORDED IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES.

COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1991, EMPLOYMENT IN JANUARY 1992 DECREASED BY 1 PER CENT FOR THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. SLIGHT DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN MOST SURVEYED MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

IN JANUARY 1992, PER CAPITA EARNINGS FOR THE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES INCREASED BY 24 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1991.

THE YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY THE DIFFERENCE IN TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN EARLY FEBRUARY THIS YEAR BUT IN MID-FEBRUARY LAST YEAR. A NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS WHO HAD ISSUED DOUBLE-PAY AND YEAR-END BONUSES IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR MADE SUCH PAYMENTS IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 1991, PER CAPITA EARNINGS FOR THE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY BY 48 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS IN JANUARY 1992.

THIS SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE WAS DUE TO A LARGER NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS ISSUING DOUBLE-PAY AND YEAR-END BONUSES IN JANUARY 1992 THAN IN DECEMBER 1991.

IN

THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES SURVEYED, EMPLOYMENT IN JANUARY 1992 DECREASED SLIGHTLY WHEN COMPARED WITH BOTH JANUARY 1991 AND DECEMBER 1991.

PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN JANUARY 1992 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY WHEN COMPARED WITH BOTH JANUARY 1991 AND DECEMBER 1991. THE INCREASES WERE AGAIN DUE TO SIMILAR REASONS AS IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

/IT SHOULD

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