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"Amongst the newspaper job advertisements which did stipulate such a requirement, the most common were in the occupational categories of (a) sales/service workers; (b) clerical workers; and (c) manual or unskilled workers," he said.
"In the second exercise, we studied the unemployment and underemployment statistics from the General Household Survey for 1994 and 1995, and found no evidence to support any discrimination in employment against persons of any age
group.
"The working group also examined overseas age discrimination legislation in a number of countries, as well as other legislative measures that were designed to protect either younger or older workers."
Two members of the working group, accompanied by two Legislative Councillors, also travelled to Australia and New Zealand to discuss in greater detail the actual operation, implementation and effect of the age discrimination legislation in those countries.
Mr Wong said it was noticeable from this aspect of the study that only a comparatively small number of countries had legislated against age discrimination in employment.
"And even where such legislation exists, it is recognised generally as being no substitute for public education," he said.
Mr Wong pointed out that an important part of the study was the fact-finding survey, which was designed to collect information on factors affecting major employment decisions including recruitment, job security, and other employment conditions such as promotion and training policy, and to ascertain whether age discrimination had a role to play in such decisions.
It was carried out earlier this year by researchers of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, Lingnan College, assisted by the market research firm Survey Research Hongkong Ltd.
The main points in the survey report are as follows:
(a)
(b)
there is some evidence that job seekers and workers at both ends of the age spectrum are disadvantaged when compared to those aged between 25 and 44:
older workers tend to receive lower wage increases, are less likely to be in promotable jobs, less likely to be promoted, and less likely to be selected for training. This conclusion, however, needs to be considered in the light of the possibility that some of the surveyed older workers may have reached their top salary point or highest pay band;.