XN000022-1996-11-05 — Page 3

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The proportions of the "never married" increased substantially for both males and females in the prime marriageable ages. This suggests a trend towards higher bachelorhood and spinsterhood.

Mr Ho also said the labour force increased from 2.8 million in 1986 to 3.2 million this year, despite a drop in the overall labour force participation rate from 66 per cent to 63 per cent over the same period.

About 30 per cent of the working population were managers, administrators, professionals and associate professionals. Workers in elementary occupations such as cleaners, messengers, watchmen and freight handlers made up one-fifth of the working population.

The distribution of the working population by industrial sector had also changed significantly. "Wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels" became the largest sector employing one quarter of the working population, followed by "community, social and personal services", which employed about one- fifth of the working population.

Mr Ho said the median income from main employment of the working population was $9,500 this year, an increase of 269 per cent during the last 10 years. Over the same period, the inflation rate, as measured by the increase in Consumer Price Index (A), was 125 per cent.

"This suggests that there has been substantial improvement in the earnings of workers in real terms," he said.

About one million persons worked in Kowloon, another 0.9 million on Hong Kong Island and 0.8 million in the new towns in the New Territories.

Among persons studying full-time in schools or educational institutions in Hong Kong, 85 per cent attended schools in the same area as they lived.

The educational attainment of the population substantially improved over the decade. The proportion of the population aged 15 and over with secondary or higher education increased from 57 per cent in 1986 to 68 per cent this year. The proportion of those with tertiary education in degree courses, in particular, increased from four per cent to ten per cent.

Cantonese was the most common language/dialect spoken at home by 89 per cent of the population. Another seven per cent claimed that they could speak the dialect. About one quarter of the population could speak Putonghua either as the usual language/dialect or as another language/dialect.