TNAG-0585-FCO40-718-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 289

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survey in the future. Conditions in Hong Kong would

seem to call for the more sophisticated methods being adopted in the United Kingdom to forecast future manpower

needs at skilled, intermediate and high-level and this

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could perhaps be borne in mind if it is decided to go ahead with a comprehensive survey to amplify the informa- tion becoming available from the sectoral surveys of the

Industrial Training Advisory Committee in electronics, plastics and textiles.

34. Employment statistics taken as a whole are inadequate for a lively expanding economy such as Hong

Kong. No statutory power to collect statistics from employers at present exists and until this is remedied

much needed information about the distribution of manpower

skills and wage levels must contain a considerable element

of guesswork. The principle of legislation to collect labour statistics was accepted in Hong Kong as far back as April, 1966 (see also paragraphs 12/13 of my previous report written in January, 1966), but the legislation has a very low priority which makes it unlikely that it will ever reach the Statute Book without special steps being

taken.

35. Employment opportunities for young people have particular relevance in the light of the Report on the Kowloon Riots. The participation rate of males in the age group 15 to 19 years has fallen slightly since 1964 (from 54.3% to 52.4%), while that of females has risen. The total numbers employed in this age group have, of course, considerably increased, but too little is known about those in this critical age group who are not 'economically active' and in particular what proportion of the group are continuing their education in one form or another. Labour is still apparently tight in spite

of the effect of the population bulge.

Are poor conditions and low wages failing to attract young people into the factories? That some employers believe that this is the case is evidenced by the view expressed at a meeting with the Federation of Hong Kong Industries that the reduction of hours of work would widen the pool of available labour. An alternative explanation of course is that the reduced hours of work for women will

/ lessen

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