42
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
industry, was a shortage of suitable industrial sites and premises in relation to growing demand. Although the Government continued its efforts to provide suitable land for industry in general, and some sites were redeveloped by private enterprise, the demand is still only partially satisfied. In spite of shortage of land suitable for industrial develop- ment, industry continued to expand. The number of regis- tered factories and factories in the course of registration increased to 3,188 during the year. Although 339 factories were closed down or ceased to operate, there was a net increase over 1956 of 54 industrial undertakings registered, in the course of registration, or *recorded, and a net increase of 6,156 industrial workers, of whom 3,020 were women. The total number of industrial undertakings rose to 3,373, and the number of workers employed in them to 153,033. There was a corresponding increase in the number of out- workers and in those employed in the industrial fringe _consisting of undertakings, including cottage industries, too
small to be liable to registration.
L
Work on the reclamation at Kwun Tong to provide sites for industry progressed during the year, and a further 55 sites were sold by public auction. Of the 80 sites sold so far, five are in course of development and plans for the development of 20 more are under consideration.
The manufacture of textiles, with 43,538 workers, re- mained the principal source of industrial employment. The textile industry together with the manufacture of metalware (24,367 workers), the manufacture and repair of transport equipment, including shipbuilding and repairing (14,999 workers), and the manufacture of footwear, wearing apparel and made-up textile goods (14,054 workers), provided em- ployment for 64% of all registered industrial workers as
* A 'recorded' undertaking is one that is not registrable under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, but is kept under observation because 15 to 19 workers are employed or because of industrial health and safety reasons.