Employment and vacancies statistics for March 2025
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Employment statistics
In March 2025, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 714 400 persons. The import and export trade engaged 349 800 persons, followed by professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 314 000 persons, financing and insurance 232 700 persons, retail trade 230 800 persons, and food and beverage services 218 900 persons.
Movements in the employment in different surveyed industries varied when compared with a year earlier. Increases were mainly observed in the industries of accommodation services (4.0% or 1 500 persons), human health services (3.9% or 6 000 persons), and real estate (3.7% or 5 100 persons). On the other hand, employment decreased mainly in the industries of retail trade (-4.6% or -11 100 persons), wholesale (-3.4% or -1 700 persons), information and communications (-3.3% or -3 600 persons), and food and beverage services (-2.8% or -6 300 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies statistics
Among the 55 170 private sector vacancies in March 2025, 5 660 were from the industry of education, 5 050 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 4 950 from residential care and social work services, 4 860 from food and beverage services, and 4 660 from financing and insurance.
Vacancies decreased in all the selected industries in March 2025 over a year earlier. Decreases were more notable in the industries of transportation, storage, postal and courier services (-5 080 or -58%), human health services (-2 760 or -43%), professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (-1 670 or -25%), education (-1 660 or -23%), and arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (-1 550 or -31%). 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 and sales workers (20 200 vacancies), professionals (10 120 vacancies), and associate professionals (8 390 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 December 2024, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries increased by less than 0.05% and decreased by 7.3% respectively in March 2025. The changes over three-month periods 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 and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites 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 manual workers only.
A detailed breakdown of the above statistics is published in the following reports:
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics, March 2025"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050003&scode=452)
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 2025"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050004&scode=452)
Users can browse and download these publications at the website of the C&SD.
Enquiries on more detailed employment and vacancies statistics can be directed to the Employment Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5076 or email: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, June 20, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:30
Issued at HKT 16:30
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