G.F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL Z
32.
wholesale/retail and import/export sectors basically reflect the seasonal
pattern of Hong Kong's extemal trade which usually reaches a peak in
the third and fourth quarters each year. The rather high rate of growth
recorded in the third quarter of 1976 was also partly a result of increases
in employment in the wholesale/retail sectors, indicating increased
consumer spending. This indication was confirmed by the increase in
employment in restaurants and cafes in which, in the third quarter of
1976 over 89,000 persons were engaged, 16% more than in the corresponding
period a year ago and an increase of 3% (or at an annual rate of 12%)
over the second quarter of 1975.
66.
The Census and Statistics Department started collecting quarterly
employment figures from building and construction sites in the first
quarter of 1976. Consistent with the view that building and construction
work was picking up rapidly, this new series shows employment on building
and construction sites increasing at an annual rate of 15% during the
second quarter and 32% during the third quarter of 1976.
Table 33
Production
67.
Table
So far statistics on production are available for all manufacturing
industries for 1973 and for the textile and clothing industries for 1974.
There is also a series of quarterly textile production statistics.
7 brings together principal statistics for the textile and clothing
industries for 1973 and 1974. Reflecting the recession, the textile
industry experienced an absolute decline in employment and in output.
Value added (for textile establishments engaging 10 or more persons)
decreased by 25% in 1974 over 1973 being a 6% decrease in remuneration
to labour and a 39% decrease in gross operating surplus. Value added as
CONFIDENTIAL
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