MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1983
3.
JOB VACANCIES ON STEADY RISE
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THE NUMBER OF JOB VACANCIES REPORTED TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT INCREASED STEADILY ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, REFLECTING A QUICKENING ECONOMIC TEMPO, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S EMPLOYMENT SERVICE DIVISION SAID TODAY.
A TOTAL OF 37 376 VACANCIES WERE NOTIFIED TO THE DIVISION, A 13.7 PER CENT RISE OVER LAST YEAR'S CORRESPONDING PERIOD AND A HEFTY 45 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE LAST FIVE MONTHS OF 1982, MR LEUNG LIT-CHEONG, SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER OF THE DIVISION, DISCLOSED.
HE STRESSED THAT THE INCREASE HAD BEEN PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WHICH PROVIDED 51 PER CENT OF THE VACANCIES FOR THE FIVE-MONTH PERIOD, COMPARED WITH 41 PER CENT IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1982.
THE BALANCE COMPRISED CLERICAL, SERVICE-RELATED AND VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL PLUS ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS.
THE MONTH-TO-MONTH INCREASES WERE SUBSTANTIAL THIS YEAR, RISING FROM 4 143 VACANCIES IN JANUARY TO 12 551 IN MAY.
THE MAY FIGURE REPRESENTED AN 80 PER CENT INCREASE OVER APRIL THIS YEAR AND A 63 PER CENT INCREASE OVER MAY OF 1982.
MR LEUNG POINTED OUT THAT THIS FIGURE ALSO SHOWED THAT THE MAJORITY OF MANUFACTURING-RELATED JOBS WAS PROVIDED BY THE GARMENT AND ELECTRONICS SECTORS.
THE INCREASE IN INDUSTRIAL JOB VACANCIES WAS IN LINE WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS.
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST STATISTICS, THESE EXPORTS FOR JANUARY TO APRIL ROSE BY NINE PER CENT OVER LAST YEAR'S CORRESPONDING PERIOD TO $26 241 MILLION.
+ IT APPEARS THAT HONG KONG'S IMPROVED EXPORT PERFORMANCE HAS BEGUN TO FILTER DOWN TO THE EMPLOYMENT SCENE, MR LEUNG SAID.
ACCORDING TO FEEDBACK INFORMATION RECEIVED BY OFFICERS OF THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE DIVISION, MOST MAJOR MANUFACTURERS REPORTED GROWING NUMBERS OF ORDERS ON HAND AND EXPECTED TO EMPLOY MORE WORKERS IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.
SOME OF THE SMALLER MANUFACTURERS, HOWEVER, WERE STILL WAITING FOR MORE SOLID SIGNS OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN HONG KONG'S PRINCIPAL MARKETS BEFORE MAKING MAJOR RECRUITMENT DECISIONS.
MOST EMPLOYERS SEEKING RECRUITMENT ASSISTANCE FROM THE DIVISION WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 29 MR LEUNG SAID.
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