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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1983
THESE WAGE INDEXES ARE DERIVED FROM THE SURVEY OF WAGES, SALARIES AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CONDUCTED EVERY QUARTER BY THE DEPARTMENT COVERING BOTH MANUAL AND NON-MANUAL WORKERS (EXCLUDING WORKERS AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL LEVELS) IN
SELECTED INDUSTRIES IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, THE WHOLESALE/ RETAIL, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES AND RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR, THE TRANSPORT SERVICES SECTOR, THE BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR AND THE PERSONAL SERVICES SECTOR.
SUCH WAGE INDEXES MEASURE CHANGES IN WAGE RATES BY HOLDING THE STRUCTURAL PATTERNS OF THE LABOUR FORCE WITH RESPECT TO INDUSTRY, OCCUPATION, SEX AND MODE OF PAYMENT THE SAME AS THAT OF MARCH 1982, WHICH IS THE BASE PERIOD OF THE WAGE INDEXES.
WHILE THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX MEASURES CHANGES IN WAGE RATES IN MONEY TERMS. THE REAL WAGE INDEX, WHICH IS OBTAINED BY DEFLATING THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX(A) MEASURES CHANGES IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF WAGES (ALTHOUGH THE SAME DEFLATOR IS USED FOR EACH INDUSTRY TO DERIVE THE REAL WAGE INDEX FROM ITS NOMINAL COUNTERPART, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOVEMENTS OF THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX AND THE REAL WAGE INDEX BETWEEN ANY TWO TIME PERIODS MAY VARY SLIGHTLY FROM INDUSTRY TO INDUSTRY DUE TO ROUNDING.)
APART FROM BASIC WAGES AND SALARIES, WAGE RATE IS DEFINED TO INCLUDE ALSO COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCE, MEAL BENEFITS, COMMISSION AND TIPS, GOOD ATTENDANCE BONUS, NIGHT SHIFT ALLOWANCE, YEAR-END BONUS AND OTHER GUARANTEED AND REGULAR BONUSES AND ALLOWANCES.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT DREW ATTENTION TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAGE INDEXES AND THE INDEXES OF PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED WHICH ARE ALSO PUBLISHED AT QUARTERLY INTERVALS.
ESSENTIALLY THE WAGE INDEXES, WHICH MEASURE THE CHANGE OF THE PRICE OF LABOUR, ARE CONCERNED WITH THE MOVEMENTS OF WAGE RATES WHICH INDICATE THE AMOUNT OF RENUMERATION FOR NORMAL TIME OF WORK.
ON THE OTHER HAND, INDEXES OF PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED ARE AFFECTED BY CHANGES IN WAGE RATES, AS WELL AS CHANGES IN OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS THE AMOUNT OF TIME ACTUALLY WORKED, THE COMPOSITION OF THE LABOUR FORCE AND THE INCIDENCE OF THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES AND BACK-PAY. AS A RESULT, THE MOVEMENTS OF THE WAGE INDEXES DO NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THOSE OF THE INDEXES OF PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED.
FOR ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE WAGE INDEXES, PLEASE CONTACT THE WAGES AND LABOUR COSTS STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AT TELEPHONE NO. 5-452703.
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