in the pilot survey with the size distribution of all manufactu-
ring firms in Hong Kong (see Employment Statistics March 1976
Table 2) suggests that the sizes of the firms selected for the
"small firms category" were fairly representative but that the
sizes of firms selected for the "large firms category" were
rather larger than is typical for Hong Kong.
Table 3
Skill distribution of blue collar workers in Textiles, Garments,
Plastics, Miscellaneous Metals and Electrics and Electronics
Industries.
(Third Manpower Survey).
Textiles Garments Plastics Metals
Electr
Total
Pilot
Skilled
18140
2170
3166
20 675 19676
63827
21
(13%)
Semi-
skilled
Unskilled
89944
114 274
17306
30 874 44904
327302
62
(68%)
19862
28 262
34704
6 050
2969
91847
17
(19%)
Total
482976
100
(100)
II
The skill distribution of the Pilot Survey respondents corresponds
fairly closely to the general skill distribution in the industries
covered by the Pilot Survey as Table 3 shows although the Pilot
Survey did contain a somewhat greater proportion of skilled
workers.
Employment Status, Payment Systems, Benefits and Allowances Received
Nearly half of the respondents had the status of permanent workers; the
remainder were fairly evenly split between long term casual and short
term casual. Over two thirds of the sample, however, were paid on a
monthly basis with most of the remainder being paid on a fortnightly basis.
There were only 2 respondents paid on a daily basis and mone on a weekly
basis; this is a much lower figure than one would expect bearing in mind
the job status distribution of the respondents. More respondents were
paid on a daily rate than on a piece rate system (58 compared to 41),
again fewer piece rate workers than one would expect on the basis of the
job status distribution.
The welfare benefits that the respondents received from their employers
are given in Table 4. There we can see that medical care was the most
commonly received welfare benefit, being received in fact by over two