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Average payroll per person engaged in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector recorded an increase of 15.7% in nominal terms or 7.4% in real terms. This significant increase was attributable in part to a low base of comparison in the fourth quarter of 1994 when the securities and real estate businesses slackened along with consolidation in the stock and property markets.
As for the community, social and personal services sector, average payroll per person engaged recorded an increase of 10.7% in nominal terms or 2.7% in real terms.
Changes in the indices of payroll per person engaged between the fourth quarter of 1994 and the fourth quarter of 1995 for selected industry sectors, in both nominal and real terms, are shown in the table below.
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. Wage indices are also compiled from the same survey at half-yearly intervals for March and September of the year.
Average payroll includes wages as well as all other irregular receipts such as bonuses and overtime allowances. Statistics on average payroll tend to show relatively 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, December 1995". The report will be available shortly at $44 per copy (exclusive of postage) at the Government Publications Centre, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, ground floor, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong and at the Publications Unit of Census and Statistics Department, 19th floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
For enquiries about the indices of payroll per person engaged, please contact the Census and Statistics Department on 2582 5076.