XN000022-1992-01-23 — Page 3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 1992

COMPARING SEPTEMBER 1991 WITH MARCH 1991, OVERALL WAGES SHOWED INCREASES BOTH IN NOMINAL TERMS AND REAL TERMS, BY 4.6% AND 0.5% RESPECTIVELY.

ANALYSED BY INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRY/SERVICE SECTORS, THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX SHOWED THE FASTEST YEAR-ON-YEAR RATE OF INCREASE IN SEPTEMBER 1991 COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1990 IN TRANSPORT SERVICES (13.7%), FOLLOWED BY BUSINESS SERVICES (10.9%), MANUFACTURING (10.4%), WHOLESALE, RETAIL, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS

(10.4%), AND PERSONAL SERVICES (7.7%).

WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH 1991 AND BEARING IN MIND THIS COMPARISON COULD BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, THE LARGEST INCREASE WAS RECORDED IN THE TRANSPORT SERVICES (8.8%), FOLLOWED BY INCREASES IN MANUFACTURING (4.4%), WHOLESALE, RETAIL, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS (4.2%), BUSINESS SERVICES (4.0%) AND PERSONAL SERVICES (2.7%).

THE NOMINAL AND REAL WAGE INDEXES FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 1990 TO SEPTEMBER 1991 FOR SELECTED MAJOR ECONOMIC SECTORS ARE GIVEN IN TABLE 1 AND TABLE 2 RESPECTIVELY. DETAILED BREAKDOWNS OF THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ARE GIVEN IN TABLE 3.

THE WAGE INDEXES ARE DERIVED FROM THE RESULTS OF THE HALF- YEARLY SURVEY OF WAGES, SALARIES AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE SURVEY COVERS BOTH MANUAL AND NON-MANUAL WORKERS (EXCLUDING EMPLOYEES AT ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL LEVELS) IN SELECTED INDUSTRIES IN FIVE MAJOR ECONOMIC SECTORS. THE BASE PERIOD OF THE WAGE INDEXES IS MARCH 1982.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT DREW ATTENTION TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAGE INDEXES AND THE INDEXES OF PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED WHICH ARE PUBLISHED AT QUARTERLY INTERVALS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT IN ADDITION TO WAGES WHICH INCLUDED ALL THE REGULAR PAYMENTS, PAYROLL ALSO INCLUDED OVERTIME PAY AND OTHER NON- GUARANTEED AND IRREGULAR BONUSES AND ALLOWANCE.

HENCE, STATISTICS ON PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED SENSITIVE ΤΟ CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS ACTUALLY WORKED, TIMING OF THE PAYMENT OF BONUSES AND BACK-PAY, AND THE COMPOSITION THE LABOUR FORCE.

TEND TO BE

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THE SURVEY FINDINGS ARE PUBLISHED IN A REPORT ON HALF-YEARLY SURVEY OF WAGES, SALARIES AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS STATISTICS VOLUME SEPTEMBER 1991 WHICH WILL BE ON SALE SHORTLY AT $9.5 PER COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AND AT THE PUBLICATIONS SALES COUNTER OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER 1, 12 HARBOUR ROAD, WANCHAI, HONG KONG.

IN MID

VOLUME II OF THE REPORT CONTAINING DETAILED OCCUPATIONAL STATISTICS, SUCH AS WAGE RATES, NUMBER OF NORMAL HOURS OF WORK AND NUMBER OF STANDARD WORKING DAYS IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.

/FOR ENQUIRIES