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According to the figures released today (June 20) by the Census and Statistics Department, employment in most selected major sectors decreased in March 2003 compared with a year earlier. Nevertheless, the community, social and personal services sector recorded some increase in employment.
Vacancies dropped significantly in overall terms in March 2003 from a year earlier. Decreases occurred across all selected major sectors and across almost all major occupation categories.
Employment Statistics
In March 2003, the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector was the largest sector in terms of employment, with 971 800 persons engaged. Within the sector, the import/export trades engaged 499 200 persons, the retail trade 209 700 persons, restaurants 172 800 persons, the wholesale trade 64 700 persons, and hotels and boarding houses 25 400 persons. It was followed by the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, engaging 422 500 persons, within which employment in business services was 189 000, the financing and insurance 149 400, and the real estate 84 100. Meanwhile, the community, social
and personal services sector engaged 398 100 persons.
On a year-on-year comparison, increase in employment was recorded only in the community, social and personal services sector, by 1.5% in March 2003. Employment in all other selected major sectors decreased. In particular, the number of manual workers at construction sites showed the largest decline, by 13.3%. Employment in the manufacturing sector also decreased markedly, by 9.4%. Sub-sectors with notable decreases in employment were communications (down by 22.7%), the wholesale trade (12.9%) and restaurants (7.9%). Employment figures for the selected major sectors are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies Statistics
Vacancies decreased noticeably in March 2003 from a year earlier in all selected major sectors. For all selected major sectors taken together, the total number of vacancies in the private sector dropped by 23.4% to 15 900 in March 2003, from 20 800 in the preceding year.
Of the 15 900 private sector vacancies in March 2003, 4 040 were from the import/export trades, 3 340 from the community, social and personal services sector and 2 060 from the financing and insurance. Job vacancy figures for the selected major sectors are shown in Table 2.
Analysed by major occupation category, private sector vacancies were mainly observed for associate professionals (accounting for 35% of the total number of vacancies), clerks (23%) as well as service workers and shop sales workers (14%). Job vacancy 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 also useful to look at the quarterly changes in the respective seasonally adjusted figures. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total employment in all selected major sectors was relatively stable in March 2003 when compared with the preceding quarter. Total vacancies however fell on a quarter-to-quarter comparison. The quarter-to-quarter changes in the seasonally adjusted series of employment and vacancies are shown in Table 4. The corresponding
quarter-to-quarter changes of the deseasonalised series by selected major sector are shown in Tables 1 and 2 respectively.
Other Information
The above employment and vacancy 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 Census and Statistics Department. In the former survey, some economic activities (e.g. those dominated by self-employment, such as taxi operators, hawkers and freelance authors) are not covered. Therefore, the respective employment and vacancy figures relate only to those selected industries included in the survey. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancy figures relate to manual workers working at major construction sites only.
Detailed breakdowns of the above statistics are published in the March 2003 issue of "Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics" and "Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites". The publications can be purchased in person at HK$32 and HK$23 per copy (both exclusive of postage) respectively from:
(i) Government Publications Centre, Ground Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong (Tel.: 2537 1910); or
(ii) Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department, 19th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Tel.: 2582 3025).
Internet users may purchase the publications online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (Address: http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk) with payment made instantly. Softcopies of the publications purchased are available for immediate downloading while hardcopies purchased will be delivered by mail. Subscription to regular publications and advance ordering of upcoming releases are also available. The Statistical Bookstore is hosted on the ESD portal (Address: http://www.esd.gov.hk) together with other public services.
A mail order form for ordering or arranging subscription to hardcopies of publications is available in most publications of the Census and Statistics Department. It may be completed and sent back together with a cheque or bank draft covering all necessary cost and postage. The order form is also available for downloading from the website of the Department (Address : http://www.info.gov.hk/censtatd/eng/service_desk/forms_index.html). Regular subscription can also be arranged with the Publications Sales Section of the Information Services Department (Tel.: 2842 8844 or 2842 8845).
Enquiries on more detailed employment and vacancy statistics can be directed to the Employment Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department at telephone no.
2582 5076 or email employment@censtatd.gov.hk.
End/Friday, June 20, 2003
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