Employment and vacancies statistics for March 2017
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Employment statistics
In March 2017, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 836 500 persons. The import and export trade engaged 480 200 persons, followed by the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 292 300 persons, the retail trade 267 300 persons, and the food and beverage services 242 500 persons.
Employment increased in many surveyed industries compared with a year earlier. Increases in employment were mainly recorded in the industries of construction sites (manual workers only) (12.2% or 12 800 persons), human health services (3.9% or 4 800 persons), professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (3.2% or 9 000 persons), and cleaning and similar services (1.8% or 1 500 persons). On the other hand, employment decreased mainly in the industries of manufacturing (-3.4% or -3 300 persons); arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (-2.4% or -3 000 persons); accommodation services (covering hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation) (-1.0% or -400 persons); and wholesale (-1.0% or -600 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
Vacancies statistics
Among the 70 460 private sector vacancies, 11 800 were from the industry of food and beverage services, 7 540 from retail trade, 6 920 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 6 330 from import and export trade, and 5 380 from financing and insurance.
Vacancies increased in some of the selected industries in March 2017 over a year earlier. Increases were mainly observed in the industries of food and beverage services (660 or 6%), import and export trade (620 or 11%), financing and insurance (200 or 4%), information and communications (170 or 7%), and cleaning and similar services (170 or 9%). On the other hand, decreases in vacancies were mainly seen in the industries of arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (-500 or -9%); construction sites (manual workers only) (-390 or -41%); manufacturing (-310 or -11%); and education (-260 or -7%). 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 (22 900 vacancies), elementary occupations (14 120 vacancies), associate professionals (13 610 vacancies), and clerical support workers (7 170 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 2016, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries increased by 0.3% and decreased by 0.6% respectively in March 2017. 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 2017" (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp452.jsp?productCode=B1050003)
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 2017" (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/Thursday, June 22, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:30
Issued at HKT 16:30
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