XN000022-1993-01-19 — Page 14

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1993

ORDERS, EMPLOYMENT AND PER CAPITA EARNINGS FIGURES

FOR NOVEMBER RELEASED

THE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURERS INCREASED BY 2% IN NOVEMBER 1992 OVER THE SAME MONTH IN 1991, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A MONTHLY SURVEY RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

ORDERS POSITION IN THE FABRICATED METAL ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES SIGNIFICANTLY. SLIGHT INCREASE WAS ALSO RECORDED PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.

PRODUCTS

IMPROVED IN THE

(TUESDAY)

AND THE FAIRLY PLASTIC

ON THE OTHER HAND, ORDERS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY AND SLIGHTLY IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY.

COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, ORDERS FOR THE MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED INCREASED BY 1%. ORDERS IN THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE TEXTILES INDUSTRIES INCREASED MODERATELY.

SOME INCREASES WERE ALSO RECORDED IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS AND THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRIES. THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY REPORTED LITTLE CHANGE IN ORDERS.

THE 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 TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED BY THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURERS DECREASED BY 12% IN NOVEMBER 1992 WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST IN 1991. THIS DECLINE IS IN LINE WITH THE RECENT TREND OF RELOCATING PRODUCTION PROCESSES TO SOUTH CHINA.

COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED BY THE SURVEYED MANUFACTURERS DECREASED BY 1%.

IN NOVEMBER 1992, PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THE MANUFACTURING COMPANIES SURVEYED INCREASED BY 16% IN MONEY TERMS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1991, BUT DECREASED BY 2% WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH.

THE LARGE YEAR-ON-YEAR INCREASE WAS PARTLY DUE TO THE ISSUE OF SEVERANCE PAYMENTS BY SOME COMPANIES AS THEY RELOCATED THEIR PRODUCTION PROCESSES ACROSS THE BORDER.

IN

IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED THE COMPANIES SURVEYED DECREASED MODERATELY IN NOVEMBER 1992 WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1991, BUT REMAINED STABLE WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH.

PER CAPITA EARNINGS IN THESE COMPANIES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR BUT DECREASED MILDLY OVER THE PRECEDING MONTH.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT FIGURES FOR THIS INDUSTRY COVER COMPANY EMPLOYEES ONLY; SITE WORKERS EMPLOYED BY LABOUR-ONLY SUB-CONTRACTORS ARE NOT INCLUDED.

/IN THE