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According to the figures released today (September 21) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total employment in the private sector surveyed decreased by 1.5% or 38 200 persons in June 2009 compared with a year earlier. The total number of vacancies was 31 530, representing a decrease of 39% or 20 060 over last year.
Employment Statistics
In June 2009, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 442 600 persons. The import and export trade engaged 491 000 persons, followed by the retail trade engaging 232 600 persons, the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) 230 700 persons, and the food and beverage services 207 300 persons.
Employment increased in some of the surveyed industries compared with a year earlier. Increases in employment were recorded in the industries of human health services (4.9% or 4 300), education (4.5% or 6 800), cleaning and similar services (2.7% or 1 500), arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (1.2% or 1 300) and professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (0.5% or 1 100). On the other hand, employment decreased in the industries of manufacturing (-6.2% or -8 300), import and export trade (-5.7% or -29 900) and information and communications (-3.3% or -2 900). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies Statistics
Among the 31 530 private sector vacancies, 4 210 were from the industry of food and beverage services, 3 700 from the import and export trade, 3 660 from the retail trade, 2 960 from the arts, entertainment, recreation and other services and 2 820 from the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services).
Vacancies decreased in all selected industries in June 2009 over a year earlier. Decreases were mainly in the industries of import and export trade (-4 420 or -54%), financing and insurance (-2 910 or -60%), professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (-2 680 or -49%), retail trade (-1 530 or -29%) and manufacturing (-1 330 or -67%). Job vacancies figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 2.
Analysed by major occupation category, private sector vacancies were observed mainly in the categories of service workers and shop sales workers (9 550 vacancies), associate professionals (8 670 vacancies) and elementary occupations (4 430 vacancies). Job vacancies figures by major occupation category are shown in Table 3.
Seasonally Adjusted Statistics
For discerning the latest trend in employment and vacancies in the private sector, it is useful to look at changes over a three-month period in the respective seasonally adjusted figures. Compared with March 2009, the seasonally adjusted total employment in the surveyed sectors decreased by 0.3% in June 2009, while total vacancies showed an increase of 20.3%. The changes over three-month period in the seasonally adjusted series of employment and vacancies are shown in Table 4.
Other Information
The above employment and vacancies statistics were obtained from the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies (SEV) and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites (Site Survey) conducted by the C&SD. In the former survey, some economic activities (e.g. those dominated by self-employment, including taxi operators and hawkers) are not covered. Therefore, the respective employment and vacancies figures relate only to those selected industries included in the survey. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancies figures relate to only manual workers working at major construction sites.
In the above statistics, the classification of industries follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC), which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes. Upon the implementation of the new HSIC Version 2.0 by the C&SD in October 2008, the SEV has been enhanced to adopt the new classification in compiling the employment and vacancies statistics. Starting from March 2009, all the employment and vacancies statistics are compiled based on the HSIC Version 2.0.
Detailed breakdowns of the above statistics are published in the June 2009 issue of Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics and Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites. Users can download these publications free of charge from the website of the C&SD at www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/statistical_report/labour/index.jsp.
The series of employment and vacancies statistics under the HSIC Version 2.0 has also been backcasted to March 2004. The revised statistics can be downloaded at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?charsetID=1&subjectID=2&tableID=017). Users who are interested in the backcasted series or have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Employment Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department (Tel.: 2582 5076; Fax: 2827 2296; E-mail: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).
Ends/Monday, September 21, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:33
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