Employment and vacancies statistics for December 2018
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Employment statistics
In December 2018, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 879 300 persons. The import and export trade engaged 474 800 persons, followed by the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 305 600 persons, the retail trade 274 100 persons, and the food and beverage services 252 000 persons.
Employment increased in many surveyed industries compared with a year earlier. Increases in employment were mainly recorded in the industries of accommodation services (covering hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation) (5.9% or 2 300 persons), human health services (3.7% or 4 600 persons), food and beverage services (3.5% or 8 400 persons), professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (3.2% or 9 500 persons), and financing and insurance (2.8% or 6 300 persons). On the other hand, employment decreased mainly in the industries of construction sites (manual workers only) (-16.1% or -19 800 persons), cleaning and similar services (-1.5% or -1 200 persons), and manufacturing (-1.5% or -1 300 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies statistics
Among the 78 190 private sector vacancies, 11 790 were from the industry of food and beverage services, 8 770 from retail trade, 7 850 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 6 080 from financing and insurance, and 5 830 from import and export trade.
Vacancies increased in many selected industries in December 2018 over a year earlier. Increases were mainly observed in the industries of retail trade (970 or 12%); arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (890 or 19%); professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (830 or 12%); and transportation, storage, postal and courier services (800 or 23%). On the other hand, vacancies decreased mainly in the industries of human health services (-1 180 or -29%) and construction sites (manual workers only) (-520 or -38%). 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 (24 110 vacancies), associate professionals (15 030 vacancies), elementary occupations (14 600 vacancies), and clerical support workers (8 880 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 September 2018, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries increased by less than 0.05% and 1.3% respectively in December 2018. 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, December 2018"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp452.jsp?productCode=B1050003)
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, December 2018"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp452.jsp?productCode=B1050004)
Users can download these publications free of charge at the website of the C&SD.
Enquiries on more detailed employment and vacancies statistics can be directed to the Employment Statistics and Central Register of Establishments Section, C&SD (Tel: 2582 5076; fax: 2827 2296; email: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, March 22, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:30
Issued at HKT 16:30
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