US census validates growth in NMI economy By ALDWIN R. FAJARDO

The United States Department of Commerce has reported positive developments on the Commonwealth’s economy, primarily fueled by growth in the garment manufacturing industry.

The Northern Mariana Islands witnessed a significant growth in the manufacturing industry in a span of five years, or between 1992 and 1997, according to the most recent economic census released by the U.S. commerce department.

The number of paid manufacturing employees doubled from 6,300 to 13,700 during the period under review, disclosed the report contained in the 1997 Economic Census of Outlying Areas-CNMI.

The federal government conducts economic surveys in the CNMI at five-year intervals since 1982. The 1997 census was the last to be based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

Future economic censuses will use the new North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) which identifies over 350 new industries and nine new service industry sectors.

The U.S.-DOC survey also noted that annual manufacturing payroll tripled from $49 million to $147 million, while manufacturing shipments increased from $264 million to more than $762 million.

It also reported that the apparel manufacturing industry and other textile-based businesses have now ballooned to 39 establishments employing more than 12,000 indigenous and foreign workers.

CNMI had 1,232 businesses engaged in construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and service industries. Retail establishments employed nearly 5,000 workers with an annual payroll of $54 million and $570 million in sales.

The US commerce department also noted that service industries have been staffed by more than 7,000 people with an annual payroll $91 million and $440 million in sales and receipts.

The economic survey disclosed that hotels and motels were the leading employers in the service sector with 33 establishments and 2,900 workers.

The International Programs Center (IPC), commissioned in 1998 by the interior department’s Office of Insular Affairs to measure and evaluate baseline economic conditions in the CNMI, placed local gross domestic product in 1997 to between $854.8 million and $1.007 billion.

On a per capita basis, the IPC said this translates into a high economy which produced between $13,406 and $15,794 worth of goods and services for each of its 63,765 residents.