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The relatively faster increase in labour earnings as compared to wages was due to more overtime payment and the issue of non-regular payments in some sectors, which were covered in labour earnings but not in wages. On the other hand, the more moderate wage increase as compared to the earlier periods was in line with the easing in overall labour market conditions during the course of 1995.
The wage indices for selected major sectors all declined in real terms between September 1994 and September 1995. The decrease ranged from 0.7% in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector to 3.1% in the manufacturing sector.
Year-on-year changes in the indices of payroll per person engaged and wage indices for selected major sectors, in both nominal and real terms, are shown in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively.
Statistics on average payroll per person engaged are compiled at quarterly intervals based on the results of the Labour Earnings Survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department.
The wage indices are compiled from the same survey at half-yearly intervals for March and September of the year. The wage indices cover both manual and non- manual workers up to the supervisory level.
Average payroll includes wages as well as all other irregular receipts such as bonuses and overtime payments. Statistics on average payroll tend to show larger quarter-to-quarter changes, affected by the number of hours actually worked and the timing of payment of bonuses and back-pay.
Detailed breakdowns of the above 'statistics are published in the Quarterly Report of Employment, Vacancies and Payroll Statistics, September 1995 and the Half-yearly Report of Wage Statistics, September 1995.
They will be on sale shortly, at $44 and $35 per copy (exclusive of postage) respectively, at the Government Publications Centre, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, ground floor, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong, and at the Publications Section of Census and Statistics Department, 19th floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
For enquiries about statistics on average payroll per person engaged, please contact the Census and Statistics Department on 2582 5076. As for enquiries on wage statistics, please call the department on 2582 4744.