****************************************************
According to the figures released today (Friday) by the Census and Statistics Department, employment in almost all the major sectors decreased in June 1998 over a year earlier. Those sectors more vulnerable to the impact of the regional financial turmoil including manufacturing; and wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels recorded a relatively larger decline in employment. However, employment in the community, social and personal services sector registered a slight increase over the period.
A significant decrease in vacancies was observed both across the major economic sectors and the major occupation categories in June 1998 over a year earlier. Yet, taking all the sectors together, there were still around 34 800 vacancies in June this year, of which 27 900 were in the private sector and 6 900 in the Civil Service.
In terms of employment size, the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector was the largest, with 954 100 persons engaged in June 1998. This was followed by the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, with an employment of 395 700; the community, social and personal services sector, 315 200; the manufacturing sector, 271 600; and the transport, storage and communications sector, 175 600. Also, there were 81 000 manual workers at construction sites.
In terms of change in June 1998 from a year earlier, the decline in employment was the largest in the manufacturing sector, followed by the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector; financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector; and transport, storage and communications sector. Employment of manual workers at construction sites fell marginally. Employment in the community, social and personal services sector nevertheless showed a marginal growth. The respective employment figures by sector are shown in Table 1.
As regards the vacancy situation, the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector had the largest number of vacancies, at 9 000 in June 1998. This was followed by the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, at 7 290; the community, social and personal services sector, at 6 540; the manufacturing sector, at 2 650; and the transport, storage and communications sector, at 1 960. Also, there were 440 vacancies for manual workers at construction sites.
Comparing June 1998 with a year earlier, vacancies in the manufacturing sector and for manual workers at construction sites both dropped particularly sharply. Vacancies in the major service sectors also recorded a less substantial, yet still significant, decrease. Job vacancy figures for selected major sectors are shown in Table 2.
Of all the private sector vacancies recorded in June 1998, there was a marked decline in vacancies in all major occupation groups over a year earlier, with vacancies in the managers and administrators category showing the largest rate of decline. Job vacancy figures broken down by major occupation groups are shown in Table 3.
The above statistics for June 1998 were derived from the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies, the Supplementary Survey of Job Vacancies and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites conducted by the Department. In the former two surveys, some economic activities (e.g. those where self-employment is predominant, such as taxi operators, hawkers and freelance authors) are not covered and hence the respective employment and vacancy figures relate only to those selected industries included in the surveys. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancy figures relate to manual workers only.
Detailed breakdowns of the above statistics are available from the Quarterly Report of Employment, Vacancies and Payroll Statistics, June 1998 and the Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, June 1998. They will be available at HK$24 per copy and HK$18 per copy (both exclusive of postage) respectively at the Government Publications Centre, Ground Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong and at the Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department on the 19th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
End/Friday, October 9, 1998
NNNN