Table 2 : Vacancies (other than those in the Civil Service)
by selected major sector

Number of vacancies Percentage change
Selected major sector

Mar.
2002

Dec.
2002

Mar.
2003

Mar. 2003
over
Mar. 2002
  Mar. 2003 #
over
Dec. 2002
Manufacturing 1 420 900 1 090

-23.5

+20.1

<0.7>

<0.5>

<0.6>

[-6.1]

Construction sites (vacancies 140 30 30

-81.7

-7.1

   for manual workers only) <0.2>

<*>

<*>

[@]

Wholesale, retail and 8 220 6 010 6 290

-23.5

+4.7

   import/export trades, <0.8>

<0.6>

<0.6>

[-21.9]

   restaurants and hotels
   -   Wholesale 450 440 340

-24.3

-22.7

   -   Retail 1 680 1 480 1 090

-35.1

-26.2

   -   Import and export trades 4 540 3 020 4 040

-11.0

+33.7

   -   Restaurants 1 230 850 780

-36.6

-8.9

   -   Hotels and boarding houses 320 220 40

-86.4

-79.5

Transport, storage and 1 240 1 000 990

-20.3

-1.3

   communications <0.7>

<0.6>

<0.6>

[-19.8]

   -   Transport and storage 840 710 670

-19.5

-5.6

   -   Communications 410 290 320

-21.9

+9.3

Financing, insurance, real 5 370 4 550 4 180

-22.1

-8.1

   estate and business services <1.3>

<1.0>

<1.0>

[-23.4]

   -   Financing and insurance 1 800 1 610 2 060

+14.5

+27.5

   -   Real estate 1 430 1 480 470

-67.4

-68.3

   -   Business services 2 150 1 470 1 660

-22.6

+13.4

Community, social and 4 380 3 720 3 340

-23.8

-10.2

   personal services <1.1>

<0.9>

<0.8>

[@]

Notes : (1) Figures relate only to those industries covered in the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites.
(2) Figures in <  > denote the vacancy rate, defined as the ratio (in terms of percentage) of the number of vacancies to the number of job opportunities (i.e. the sum of the number of persons engaged and the number of vacancies).
# In this column, unbracketed figures are compiled based on the original series (i.e. not seasonally adjusted data series), while figures in [  ]  are compiled based on the seasonally adjusted figures. Seasonally adjusted change is not available for breakdowns beyond major sector level. The seasonally adjusted data series, and hence its percentage change, are subject to routine revison when more up-to-date figures become available.
@ Quarterly percentage change based on seasonally adjusted figures is not presented as no clear seasonal pattern is displayed in the sector.
* Less than 0.05%.