1979 : a propicious year for industrial firms - The situation of firms in 1979 has been analysed, as in preceeding years, on the basis of the income- tax returns of a sample of 15 000 firms whose real profits were taxed. After the crisis of 1974, which caused a fall in profits and a decline in the distribution of added value, the year 1979 appeared to be a good year for the results of firms. However, the trends from one activity to another were fairly different. For example, the difficulties of professional capital goods continued, while the sectors hardest hit by the crisis of 1974 showed improvement in 1978 and especially in 1979. This recovery was due to the reductions in staff and to the slowdown in the level of indebtedness, but was al...