Business Held its Own in 1979 - In January the INSEE completed its yearly provisional balance sheet of the trade situation in 1979 and presented it to the Commission des comptes commerciaux de la Nation. The analysis of the current situation shows that there was an uneven evolution of sales due to the high levels attained at the end of 1978. There has been recovery during the second half of the year both in the wholesale and retail sectors. Sales of household appliances in particular have picked up although overall consumption is undergoing a slowdown. The slight increase in trade (-f- 2.5) has been accompanied by a corresponding growth in the number of businesses and in the level of employment (+ 2 % respectively). The net increase of the ...