Employment in HK's private sector up 3 pct in June

Hong Kong's total employment in the private sector grew 3 percent in June or by 74,400 people, compared to the same month last year, the city's Census & Statistics Department announced on Monday. According to statistics released by the department, there were 45,220 vacancies during the month, up 43 percent year on year, representing 13,690 vacancies.

Increases in employment were recorded in the cleaning and similar services (13.9 percent), construction sites (13.4 percent), education (5.4 percent), financing and insurance (4.7 percent) and real estate sectors (4.7 percent), while manufacturing fell 3.9 percent.

Vacancies rose in nearly all selected industries in June over a year earlier, mainly in the professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (77 percent), financing and insurance (112 percent), import and export trade (48 percent), and food and beverage services (39 percent), while the wholesale industry fell 3 percent.

Private-sector vacancies were observed mainly in the categories of associate professionals (12,200 vacancies), service workers and shop sales workers (11,990), and elementary occupations (7,450).