Employment and vacancies statistics for March 2021
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Employment statistics
In March 2021, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 690 700 persons. The import and export trade engaged 384 000 persons, followed by professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 306 700 persons, retail trade 249 900 persons, financing and insurance 236 200 persons, food and beverage services 205 500 persons, and education 205 400 persons.
Employment decreased in many surveyed industries compared with a year earlier. Decreases in employment were mainly recorded in the industries of accommodation services (covering hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation) (-9.4% or -3 600 persons); import and export trade (-8.6% or -36 100 persons); wholesale (-8.4% or -4 700 persons); food and beverage services (-7.2% or -16 000 persons); and transportation, storage, postal and courier services (-6.7% or -11 800 persons). On the other hand, employment increased mainly in the industries of human health services (4.0% or 5 600 persons) and real estate (1.9% or 2 500 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies statistics
Among the 39 350 private sector vacancies, 4 780 were from the industry of financing and insurance, 4 470 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 4 130 from education, 3 710 from residential care and social work services, and 3 050 from import and export trade.
Vacancies decreased in majority of the selected industries in March 2021 over a year earlier. Decreases were mainly observed in the industries of professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (-680 or -13%), import and export trade (-530 or -15%), and information and communications (-520 or -24%). On the other hand, vacancies increased mainly in the industries of education (440 or 12%); and arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (420 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 associate professionals (10 290 vacancies), service and sales workers (7 700 vacancies), and elementary occupations (7 050 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 2020, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries increased by 0.2% and 10.7% respectively in March 2021. 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 2021"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050003&scode=452)
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 2021"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050004&scode=452)
Users can 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 and Central Register of Establishments Section, the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5076; fax: 2827 2296; email: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Issued at HKT 16:30
Issued at HKT 16:30
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