8
EMPLOYMENT
HONG KONG's labour market remained very tight during the year as a result of a high level of economic activity. The problem of the brain drain, resulting from the emigration of professionals and experienced personnel, continued to cause concern. Employers were adopting new approaches to tackle the problem of staff recruitment and retention. Higher wages were offered, particularly in the construction industry and service sector. A scheme was approved by the government to import a limited number of foreign workers to help ease the tight labour market situation.
Unemployment for the third quarter of 1990 was 1.7 per cent, and underemployment was one per cent.
The average wage rates for all employees, including wage earners and salaried employees up to the supervisory level, increased by 12.6 per cent in money terms between September 1989 and September 1990. Taking into account rises in consumer prices, wage rates for all employees increased in real terms by 2.6 per cent. The overall average daily wage rate for workers in September 1990 was $189. While the size of wage increase in real terms was small, the increase in average earnings was more significant. For example, between September 1989 and September 1990, average earnings for persons engaged in the manufacturing sector, in terms of payroll per person engaged, rose by 13.1 per cent in money terms, or by 3.1 per cent in real terms.
Hong Kong's dynamic workforce totals 2.8 million, of which 64 per cent are males and 36 per cent females, as recorded by the July-September 1990 General Household Survey. Of the total workforce, 28 per cent was engaged in manufacturing, 26.1 per cent in wholesale and retail trades, restaurants and hotels, 18.8 per cent in community, social and personal services, 9.9 per cent in transport, storage and communications, 8.4 per cent in construction, and 7.3 per cent in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services.
A survey of Employment, Vacancies and Payroll in the Manufacturing Sector conducted in September revealed that 730 217 people were engaged in 49 087 establishments. The survey covered working proprietors and partners, employees receiving pay and unpaid family workers affiliated to business organisations, but excluded out-workers. Some 324 283 people, the largest portion of the manufacturing workforce, were engaged in the textile and wearing apparel industries. The electronics and plastics industries were the next two largest employers.
Details of the distribution of manufacturing establishments and of the number of people engaged in them are at Appendices 17 and 18.
107