TNAG-0621-FCO40-769-Budget-of-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 139

G.F. 323

63.

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Within manufacturing, the clothing industry remained the

31.

largest employer and together with the textile industry was responsible

for about half of total manufacturing employment.

Three other industries

of roughly equal size in terms of employment came next, those producing

plastic products (over 50% of which were toys), metal products and

machinery, and electrical appliances and electronic products.

they accounted for 30% of total manufacturing employment.

Together

64.

The recovery in manufacturing employment was led by the clothing

industry which started to registor increases in December 1974 when most

of the other industries were still laying off workers. Largo increases

in employment in the clothing industry were experienced during 1975;

these generated increases in employment in the textile industry as well,

but to a lesser extent.

Table 32

Employment in non-manufacturing

65.

Employment in some non--m-: nufacturing sectors tends to be less

volatile than in manufacturing. Employment in banks increased steadily

from 1974 to 1976 to an average annual rate of roughly 5% although

increases in the second and third quarters of 1976 were slightly higher.

Employment in the wholesale/retail and import/export sectors increased at

annual rates of 2% and 4% in the third and fourth quarters respectively

of 1975. The increase slowed down considerably in the first and second

quarters of 1976 with employment remaining roughly at the level attained

at the end of 1975. Employment in the third quarter again increased

fairly quickly; a total of 260,000 persons were engaged in those sectors,

representing an annual rate of increase of over the second quarter

%

of 1976. These variations in the rate of growth of employment in the

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