(b)
+
16
-
Statistics on changes in the real wage indices by major sector and by broad occupation group up to the supervisory level from September 1993 to September 1996, along with the corresponding average wage levels in September 1996, are appended in Table 1. Statistics on changes in the real salary indices for managerial and professional occupations by major sector from June 1993 to June 1996, along with the corresponding overall salary levels for this category of employees, are appended in Table 2. Some further breakdowns of these statistics by industry are available from the Department and can be furnished upon request.
There are however no available statistics on wage changes broken down by income range of employees in specific sectors or industry groups. To collate such statistics would most likely require tallying from the wage levels of individual employees in the company payroll. The practical difficulty is that company payroll records are commonly arranged by job categories or occupation hierarchies, rather than by income ranges of the employees. Requiring employers to provide such information would create an undue additional reporting burden.
In conducting statistical surveys, the Census and Statistics Department has to strike a reasonable balance between the production of more statistics the value of which may become increasingly marginal, and the reporting burden on respondents. In this instance, the existing breakdown on wage changes are considered to be ample and appropriate.