ENG-2001 — Page 176

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EMPLOYMENT

that is commensurate with Hong Kong's socio-economic development, and protect the safety and health of employees at work.

Labour Force

In the fourth quarter of 2001, Hong Kong's labour force grew by 1.1 per cent over the corresponding period of 2000. The labour force stood at 3.4 million, of whom 57.1 per cent were males and 42.9 per cent were females. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of 2001 was 6.1 per cent while the underemployment rate was 3.0 per cent, as compared with 4.4 per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively, a year earlier.

sectors

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Of those employed, the majority (83.9 per cent) were engaged in the service 31.8 per cent in wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels; 25.7 per cent in community, social and personal services; 15.4 per cent in financing, insurance, real estate and business services; and 11 per cent in transport, storage and communications. Only 6.3 per cent worked in the manufacturing sector.

Owing to a structural shift in employment during the past decade, the service sectors now employ over nine times as many workers as the manufacturing sector. In December 2001, 1997 600 persons were engaged in establishments in the various service sectors, which is 1.2 per cent higher than the corresponding figure in 2000. Only 203 000 persons were engaged in the manufacturing sector, a decrease of 10.3 per cent compared with a year earlier.

The printing and publishing industry has become the largest manufacturing industry, employing 44 100 persons in December 2001, followed by the clothing industry and the electronics industries, which employed 41 400 and 20 200 persons, respectively. Details of the distribution of establishments and persons engaged by selected major industry groups are given in the Appendices.

Employment Situation

During the year, the labour market remained generally slack. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 4.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2001, to 6.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2001. Vacancies registered with the Labour Department rose from 174 356 in 2000 to 175 841 in 2001. The department also placed a record number of 62 838 job-seekers in employment during the year.

Wages

Wage rates are calculated on a time basis, either daily or monthly, or on an incentive basis according to the volume of work performed. The average wage rate for employees up to the supervisory level, including daily-rated and monthly-rated employees, increased by 0.2 per cent in money terms between December 2000 and December 2001. After discounting changes in consumer prices, the average wage rate increased by 6.9 per cent in real terms.

In December 2001, the average monthly wage rate for the supervisory, technical, clerical and miscellaneous non-production workers in the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector was $11,885. Based on the wage indices, the average wage rate for this group increased by 0.8 per cent in money terms, or by 7.5 per cent in real terms, compared with December 2000.