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Show Semiconductor Industry Awaits Elusive End To Pitiless Slump as Layoffs, Losses Mount By Andrew Pollack New York Times Writer SAN FRANCISCO Only days - af- ter its trade association predicted that business would soon improve, the semiconductor industry was demonstrating again last week the effects of a relentless year-londepression. National Semiconductor Corp. reported Wednesday a loss of $53 5 million for its first fiscal quarter, the largest in its history and the worst so far in the industrys yearlong slump. The report followed announcements earlier in the week of austerity measures that included pay cuts by the Intel Corp. and layoffs and salary reductions by the semiconductor operations of Motorola Inc. The industry that makes the silicon chips used in computers and other electronic equipment has been mired in a slump caused by persistent excess inventories, slowing computer sales and severe competition from Japan. As for the outlook for a turnaround, "it's like waiting for Godot, said John J. Lazio Jr., semiconductor industry analyst for Morgan Stanley & Co. "I dont look for any material improvement over the short term. Charles E. Sporck, National Semiconductors president and chief executive, appeared to agree in his statement Wednesday: "We have recently experienced a marginal improvement in semiconductor order rates, he said. "But until we have a significant and sustained improvements in those rates, our financial performance will continue to suffer." Nationals loss, which had been expected, compares with a profit of $35 9 million, or 40 cents a share, in the first fiscal quarter of last year. Revenues in the 1985 quarter, which ended Sept. 22, plunged 20 percent, to $423.4 million, from $529 million. National, based in Santa Clara, Calif., also said it would close its operations for seven days during Christmas to save money. The company this year has already laid off 1,300 in the United States and others overseas. It has ulso instituted hiring freezes, other temporary plant shutdowns and capital spending cuts. Analysts expect virtually all other semiconductor companies to report operating losses for the third calendar quarter and some to report losses for the fourth quarter as well. National's loss is as large as it is because of its heavy reliance on commodity products that have been affected most by price wars, and because of the companys heavy expenditures to modernize its facilities. Moreover, operating losses for companies such as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices might be partly or completely offset by interest income or tax credits, while semiconductor losses for Texas Instruments and Motorola might be counterbalanced by earnings from other operations. Still, these companies are all acting to reduce the losses. Intel recently instituted pay cuts of 4 to 8 percent for its entire U.S. work force for the remainder of this year and said it would shut its operations for six days during the Christmas season. "Business has not improved signifi g third-quart- The Salt Lake Tribune, ' cause the computer industry, as a major user of chips, is still not growing rapidly Furthermore, American semiconductor companies will still face severe Japanese competition, despite their recent filing of several complaints against trade practices of the Japanese chip manufacturers. The Semiconductor Industry Association predicted last week that cantly," said Glynms Kaye, a spokesman for Intel, which is also based in Santa Clara. She said the company is not making any predictions about when an upturn will occur Motorola, which had so far avoided massive layoffs, announced on Monday a series of staff reductions designed to cut its semiconductor work force by 1,500 to 1,700 It also said that salaries would be reduced 5 to 10 percent through the end of March for its U.S. employees in that segment Despite the glum news, however, some analysts and executives say the industry has begun a modest improvement that should pick up steam worldwide semiconductor JVl j sales -- in 1986. Part of the slump, industry analysts say, has been caused by the fact d that computer companies chips in 1984 and then lived off their inventories in 1985. Now, they say, there is evidence inventories are being used up, so that chip purchases are expected to rise to the level at which the chips are being used. "We expect to see a lot of our clients placing orders in the fourth quarter," said Robert B. Rabin, a director of Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath, a Palo Alto consulting firm to technology companies. Still, other causes for the slump will persist. The actual rate of chip usage continues to be depressed be over-ordere- book-to-bi- o w - I JiO o ll Akvot luteO Iomi pftoto Hr Squeaky Clean NEW YORK They are the cleanest bunch in New York, or so they think. These contestants got together to take part in the e Proctor & Gamble Mr. Clean search. The w inner was David Scott Crawford, Stow, Ohio, center, with trophy. He beat over 500 persons w ho entered the contest from throughout the United States. look-alik- Most Victims Young, Educated Women Claims of Sexual Harassment Expensive, Rising By Gary Dessler r Newspapers Reports indicate that sexual harassment has become one of the most frequently litigated issues in employment law. For example, the Equal EmployKnight-Ridde- ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that more than 1,000 charges were filed in the first six months following the adoption of its sexual harassment guidelines, and nearly twice that number were filed with state and local human rights agencies. Considering that from 42 percent to 90 percent of working women routinely report having encountered sexual harassment at work, the number of charges filed is not surprising. These sexual harassment claims can be serious and expensive for employers. Once a claim reaches court, the complainant often will add a tort claim (for assault, battery or slander, for instance). This in turn expands the range of available remedies, which may include punitive damages and damages for suffering and pain. Sexual harassment litigation costs for such claims include $50,000 against World Airways Inc., $187,023 against Ford Motor Co., and a $100,000 settlement paid by Johns Man-vill- e rt Corp. W'hat sort of people and situations are more likely to lead to sexual har- viewed 81 sexual harassment charges filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights from July 1, 1981, through June 30, 1983, to better analyze the situations that lead to sexual harassment claims; the results were just published in the journal Personnel Psychology. First, as you might expect, of the 81 individual who filed sexual harassment charges, 76 were women and five were men. This was consistent with other evidence that indicates women claim to experience sexual harassment much more frequently than men. For example, in a study by the Merit Systems Protection Board it was found that 42 percent of the female respondents had claimed to have experienced sexual harassment, and only 15 percent of the males. Since those results seem to be higher than the ratio of females to males claiming exposure to sexual harassment, it might be that women are more apt to file formal charges in response to sexual harassments than are men. One researcher found that men tended to be complemented by sexual advances from women and flattered by them at least until the sexual harassment was linked to the loss of tangible job benefits. The age of the employee also was a factor. While the people filing claims ranged from 18 to 50, the majority were in the age group. Older women (particularly those over 45) reported relatively few instances of sexual harassment, while those be- - more educated womuch more likely to been sexually haor not they filed sexclaims, and it's not clear why. Perhaps their years of education makes them more sensitive to perceiving incidents of sexual hai assment, or perhaps they actually do receive or experience more sexual harassment at work. W'omen filing sexual harassment claims also tended to earn more money than those who did not. Complainants who made less than $10,000 per year were significantly in the group filing claims, for instance, while those earning between $15,000 and $39,999 were significantly What situations lead to sexual harassment claims? An examination of the data does not seem to support the idea that only the most serious" forms of sexual harassment are associated with the filing of formal charges. In most surveys, sexual assaults and sexual propositions linked to threats or promises of changes in job status were considered to be the tween the ages of 24 and 34 reported having experienced the most severe forms. This was consistent with the finding of the separate Merit Systems study, which found that women 45 and over were far less likely to report having experienced sexual harassment than younger women. Marital status was important, too. Single women were significantly more likely to file sexual harassment claims, probably because single women reportedly experience sexual harassment more often than do married women. As the researchers point out in the Personnel Psychology study, "It is possible that some male and supervisors feel it is socially acceptable to pursue social-sexurelationships with single females at work. Working women filing sexual harassment charges were also generally those with higher educational levels. Complainants with less than a high school degree were significantly in the group filing claims, for instance, while those with college degrees were significantly Interestingly, men were also report having rassed, whether ual harassment under-represente- d most serious examples of sexual harassment, and were viewed as such by more than 95 percent of the respondents. On the other hand, requests fori dates, sexual remarks and suggestive gestures were viewed as somewhat less serious. Yet these less serious actions elicited claims much mor often. Beyond that, researchers found that 8 percent of the sexual harassment cases involved sexual harassment incidents that were repetitive. Therefore, it seems that even relatively less serious actions on the supervisors part may lead to harassment claims if the actions become repetitive. A final fact to consider is that more than 65 percent of the sexual harassment cases involved job discharge. The second most frequently reported case was a voluntary quit (16 percent of the cases involved such quits) so that in total, 81 percent of the cases were filed by women who either had been fired cr (perhaps) been forced to quit. 20-3- 5 assment charges? Researchers from the University of Illinois and University of Idaho re Mwpn Get a great price on your choice of a system thats fast. . .raster. . .or fastest. High statement savings interest from First Security Financial lease Then ask about our unique option. 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