XN000022-1980-01-08 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1980

RESULTS OF SURVEY ON TRADES

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THE SEPTEMBER 1979 ISSUE OF THE HONG KONG MONTHLY DIGEST OF STATISTICS CONTAINS SUMMARY RESULTS OF A LARGE SCALE ECONOMIC CENSUS OF THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, AS WELL AS RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS.

THE SURVEY, TO PROVIDE BENCHMARK STATISTICS ON THE STRUCTURE, CONDUCT AND PERFORMANCE OF THE TRADE SECTOR, SHOWED THAT IN 1977, 50 392 WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT ÉSTABLISHMENTS, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS WERE FOUND IN OPERATION.

THESE ESTABLISHMENTS ENGAGED A TOTAL OF 363 365 PERSONS, WITH ESTIMATED TOTAL SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS OF $108 578 MILLION, CENSUS VALUE ADDED OF $15 454 MILLION, LABOUR COST OF $5 077 MILLION AND OTHER OPERATING COSTS OF $7 468 MILLION.

OVER 56 PER CENT OF THE 50 392 REPORTING ESTABLISHMENTS WERE IN THE RETAIL TRADE WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 31 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED.

RESTAURANTS REPRESENTED ONLY SEVEN PER CENT OF THE NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS BUT 28 PER CENT OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT.

IMPORT/EXPORT AND WHOLESALE TRADES EACH MADE UP 21 PER CENT AND 14 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS, AND 24 PER CENT AND 12 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT,

HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY ONE PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS AND FIVE PER CENT OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT.

IMPORT/EXPORT TRADE ACCOUNTED FOR 62 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS, WHILE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES EACH HAD 16 PER CENT, RESTAURANTS, FIVE PER CENT, AND HOTELS/BOARDING HOUSES, ONE PER CENT,

ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, RESTAURANTS WERE THE ONLY ACTIVITY WHICH SPENT MORE ON LABOUR THAN OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES. IMPORT/ EXPORT TRADE WAS AT THE OTHER EXTREME, WITH OTHER OPERATING COSTS TWICE THAT OF LABOUR.

SMALL ESTABLISHMENTS WITH ONE TO FOUR PERSONS DOMINATED THE WHOLESALE/RETAIL TRADES AND IN BOARDING HOUSES. THESE SMALL ESTABLISHMENTS MADE UP 58 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN WHOLESALE TRADE, 80 PER CENT IN RETAIL TRADE, 52 PER CENT IN IMPORT/EXPORT TRADE AND 77 PER CENT IN BOARDING HOUSES. ONLY 24 PER CENT OF RESTAURANTS ENGAGED LESS THAN FIVE PERSONS.

IN TERMS OF SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS, ESTABLISHMENTS ENGAGING 10 TO 19 PERSONS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT GROUP IN WHOLESALE ACTIVITY, CONTRIBUTING 27 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL TURNOVER.

A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT PATTERN WAS FOUND IN RETAIL BUSINESSES IN WHICH ESTABLISHMENTS ENGAGING ONE TO FOUR PERSONS AND THOSE WITH 50 OR MORE PERSONS EACH CONTRIBUTED 25 PER CENT OF TOTAL SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS.

/IN IMPORT/EXPORT