tyldisilene is probably just the fore runner of a large class of compounds containing multiple bonded silicon atoms. It may even prove possible to make stable compounds with siliconsilicon or silicon-carbon triple bonds. In addition, the work is being ex tended to include germanium, the next element in the group. It's hard to say just where the work will lead, West says, but it likely will give new insights into the nature of the chem ical bond and it may turn up useful new materials with unexpected pro perties. D
computer specialists will be the superstars in 1982, with overall de mand up 19% from 1981 levels. Com panies' "broad-based engineering needs" will jump 16%. Specifically, demand will be up about 20% for electrical/electronic engineers, 18% for mechanical engineers, and 15% for chemical engineers. Starting salary increases will range from 4.7 to 13.4% in 1981, depending on the discipline, the Endicott Re port says. At the bachelor level, pre dicted average monthly salaries for new engineers will be $2119 (up 11.4% from 1981); for chemists, $1791 (up 10%); for computer scientists, $1855 (up 6.8%). New engineers at the mas Demand to stay strong ter's level will start at an average for new engineers $2349 per month, up 10.0% from 1981. The average for "other technical" In spite of recession and generally M.S.'s will go to $2214, up 9.5%. rising unemployment, demand for The Fox-Morris numbers are dif graduates in engineering and many ferent, but not startlingly so. Accord other technical fields will continue ing to that forecast, entry-level av to increase at a healthy rate in 1982. erages in 1982 will be $2150 per Starting salaries will reflect the strong month for chemical engineers, $1975 demand, according to two annual em for mechanical engineers, $1958 for ployment forecasts—Northwestern electrical engineers, and $1733 for University Placement Center's "En- graduates in the computer sciences. dicott Report" and Fox-Morris Per In contrast, the average business/ac sonnel Consultants' "U.S. Profes counting graduate will start at $1375 sional Job/Salary Outlook." and the average liberal arts graduate D The Northwestern survey, based at $1167, Fox-Morris says. on information from 242 large- or medium-sized corporations, says that for 1982 total new-graduate hiring Avon Products to buy "intentions" (which usually correlate well with actual hiring) are up 11% Mallinckrodt for bachelor's-degree holders and 12% for those with masters, compared to Mallinckrodt, the St. Louis-based 1981 figures. producer of medical reagents and The outlook varies considerably for supplies, drugs, and specialty chem different fields, however. At the icals, has agreed to a merger of the B.A./B.S. level, according to the company with Avon Products, the Endicott Report, hiring intentions are New York City-based cosmetics firm. up 21% for engineers of all kinds, Avon may pay up to $750 million in 18% for computer scientists, and (al cash and Avon stock for Mallinckrodt. though the actual numbers are fewer) For Mallinckrodt, the deal means a strong 37% for chemists. But for a safe haven for the company with a "nonengineers," total hiring of new parent that will continue its business bachelors is expected to rise only 6%. philosophy and strategies. Mallinck The forecast shows little change for rodt has long been eyed as a target liberal arts graduates and a 19% drop for a possibly unfriendly takeover. in demand for graduates in "mathe Thefirmalso may benefit from heavy matics-statistics." future investment by Avon, which Similarly, at the master's level, de traditionally has generated large mand is up 28% for engineers, only amounts of cash. 9% for "nonengineers." However, the To Avon, the merger means diver "M.B.A. with technical B.S." contin sification away from cyclical con ues to be popular, with hiring inten sumer sales, which suffer with infla tions up 21% for that group. But de tion surges and economic downturns. mand for 'M.B.A. with nontechnical Mallinckrodt's sales have grown B.A." will grow only 12%. steadily at 17% per year over the past Although the Fox-Morris forecast decade and have almost quintupled isn't limited to entry-level positions, in 10 years. The St. Louis company's its findings generally corroborate earnings likewise have increased al those of the Endicott Report. How most sevenfold in the same period, ever, it says that data processing/ at an annual growth rate of 21%.
Avon, Mallinckrodt profits high, but Avon is slipping D
rofit margin3
13 12 11
10 9 8 7 6 5
Ο1971 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81b a Net earnings as per cent of sales, b First nine months.
A third beneficiary of the merger could be National Distillers & Chem ical Corp., which in the past 15 months has bought almost 1.3 mil lion shares of Mallickrodt, or 9% of the shares outstanding. Some ana lysts have suggested that National Distillers was preparing for a take over of its own. Spokesmen for Na tional Distillers have no comment about the pending Avon-Mallinckrodt merger. National Distilers paid about $42 million for its holdings in Mal linckrodt. If the company decides to sell at the Avon offer of $50 per share, it could realize a $23 million profit. If the planned merger goes through without a bidding war with a third party, it also would solve temporar ily a moral and financial dilemma on the part of trustees of Harvard Universiity and Washington Univer sity (St. Louis), who together hold 17% of Mallinckrodt stock. The two universities inherited the stock 15 years ago from the late chairman Ed ward Mallinckrodt Jr. If the trustees were to refuse a favorable offer in an unfriendly takeover, they would be neglecting their responsibilities to their universities. If they were to ac cept such an offer, it might chill the climate for further bequests from companies. Avon sales last year amounted to almost $2.6 billion, mostly from doorto-door sales of men's, women's, and children's cosmetics, toiletries, fra grances, and jewelry. Mallinckrodt's 1980 sales were $442 million, of which more than half was in health care products, almost 30% was in specialty chemicals, and 17% was in food, fla vor, and fragrance products. D Dec. 21, 1981C&EN
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