The Accounts of Industrial Firms Increasing Difficulties - In 1981 the trend of the accounts of industrial firms was characterized by a worsening of the difficulties which arose at the end of 1979 with the beginning of the second oil crisis. The deterioration of their operating results was accompanied by growing financial difficulties, which have blocked their efforts to invest. All industrial sectors have seen the cost of their supplies and their financing costs go up. At the same time, they were subjected to strong international competition. Nevertheless, the consequences of this situation were variable. They can be better inderstood through the use of a sample of tax returns. The sector of intermediate goods was not able to increase its ...