Chapter 3: Occupations, Wages and Labour Organization
OCCUPATIONS
THE principal sources of employment in the Colony are industry, commercial houses connected with the entrepôt trade, agriculture, fishing and the internal distributive trades.
No general employment figures are available, nor has it been feasible since the war, due to rapidly changing condi- tions, for the Government to undertake the compilation of such figures. Employment figures are, however, held for all industrial concerns registered with the Labour Depart- ment, and these cover the bulk of the Colony's industrial life.
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There is no evidence of any substantial change in the number of people engaged in agriculture and fishing, usually estimated at about 250,000, many of whom work as family units.
The total number of people employed by the Hong Kong Government and by the Armed Services in a civilian capacity was over 40,000, while an additional 25,000 were engaged in public transport services. During the year the United Kingdom Government decided to reduce establish- ments operated by the Armed Forces in the Colony. Certain reductions were made in 1957 and others will follow in 1958. The decision to close down H. M. Dockyard in a phased operation extending over two years, which was announced at the end of November, is dealt with later in the Chapter.
The main factor affecting employment during the year was once again industrial expansion, and again an impor- tant limitation on expansion, particularly of small-scale