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According to the figures released today (September 20) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total employment in the private sector surveyed increased by 3.0% or 74 400 persons in June 2010 compared with a year earlier. The total number of vacancies was 45 220, representing an increase of 43% or 13 690 over last year.
Employment Statistics
In June 2010, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 517 000 persons. The import and export trade engaged 498 300 persons, followed by the retail trade engaging 240 800 persons, the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) 236 200 persons, and the food and beverage services 215 500 persons.
Employment increased in nearly all surveyed industries compared with a year earlier. Increases in employment were recorded in the industries of cleaning and similar services (13.9% or 8 300), construction sites (13.4% or 6 600), education (5.4% or 8 500), financing and insurance (4.7% or 8 500) and real estate (4.7% or 4 900). Yet, decrease was seen in the industry of manufacturing (-3.9% or -4 900). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies Statistics
Among the 45 220 private sector vacancies, 5 860 were from the industry of food and beverage services, 5 500 from the import and export trade, 5 000 from the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 4 400 from the retail trade and 4 050 from the financing and insurance.
Vacancies increased in nearly all selected industries in June 2010 over a year earlier. Increases were mainly in the industries of professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (2 180 or 77%), financing and insurance (2 140 or 112%), import and export trade (1 800 or 48%) and food and beverage services (1 650 or 39%). Yet, decrease was seen in the industry of wholesale (-20 or -3%). 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 associate professionals (12 200 vacancies), service workers and shop sales workers (11 990 vacancies), and elementary occupations (7 450 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 2010, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed sectors increased by 0.2% and 4.1% respectively in June 2010. 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 have been compiled based on the HSIC Version 2.0.
The series of employment and vacancies statistics under the HSIC Version 2.0 previously backcasted to March 2004 have been extended to March 2000. 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).
Detailed breakdowns of the above statistics are published in the June 2010 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 .
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 20, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:33
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