ENG-1963 — Page 73

EMPLOYMENT

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The occupational pattern may have altered a little as a result of the influx of immigrants in 1962 but generally it should not differ materially from the pattern reflected in the census. Simple pro- jection produces a distribution of employed persons sufficiently indicative of the balance of employment between different sectors of the economy, and the following figures are given on this basis. for the end of 1963 (with a work force calculated at approximately 1,400,000):—manufacturing 558,600, services 312,200, commerce 154,000, construction 117,600, farming and fishing 103,600, com- munications 102,200, public utilities 22,400, mines and quarries 9,800, others 19,600.

The number of people directly employed in factories registered or recorded by the Labour Department increased throughout 1963 and reached a total of 354,394, an increase of 56,497 over 1962. Although the rise was steady, there were fluctuations within in- dividual industries. Those engaged in weaving, spinning, knitting and the manufacture of garments and made-up textile goods accounted for a total of 148,558 and remained the largest section of the industrial labour force. The plastics industry, in which a large number of out-workers are employed, continued to expand, and before the end of the year was the second largest employer of workers after the garments and shirts industry.

1=1

When severe water supply restrictions were introduced at the be- ginning of June, it was thought it would have an adverse effect on employment in industry, but a subsequent survey by the inspector- ate of the Labour Department showed that while initially some unemployment occurred in those sections of industry which nor- mally consumed large quantities of water, this was more than offset by increased employment in industry as a whole.

Although the construction of industrial buildings continued, particularly in Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan, there still re- mains an acute shortage of premises for the small manufacturer of limited means. Nevertheless, the number of registered and re- corded factories increased by 1,043 to 8,348, many of them small concerns. Privately owned factory buildings and Government re- settlement factories were completed at San Po Kong in Kowloon, and industrial development continued in the areas of Cheung Sha Wan, Quarry Bay and Aberdeen. Tables at Appendix I show development in the main industrial groups and selected industries.