22-6 NUMBER OF EMPLOYED PERSONS BY INDUSTRY

(person)

 

 

 

 

 

Industry

1990

1995

1996

1997

1998

Manufacturing

751000

534600

482100

443900

391900

Construction

226000

229300

269600

306200

319500

Wholesale, Retail and Import/Export Trades,Restaurants and Hotels

703200

824900

887400

952200

973900

Transport, Storage and Communications

268400

327700

331800

346400

363300

Financing, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services

208600

341700

353600

399500

419000

Community, Social and Personal Services

511800

609800

649500

666500

705300

Others

42700

37100

33800

30000

28200

Total

2711500

2905100

3007700

3144700

3201000

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Employment statistics are compiled separately based on the General Household Survey(GHS) and the

 

 

 

 

 

Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies. Each source has its own merits and limitations in

 

 

 

 

 

reflecting the employment situation. The GHS estimates are presented here because the omission in terms

 

 

 

 

 

of coverage of the employed population is negligible. Besides, individual persons, including multiple

 

 

 

 

 

job holders, are counted only once. However, a major limitation of the GHS estimates is that the

 

 

 

 

 

respondents might not have reported accurately the industry to which they belong, especially for workers

 

 

 

 

 

in the manufacturing sector. With the relocation of some production processes to the mainland of China,

 

 

 

 

 

there is a change in the mode of operation of the traditional manufacturing establishments in Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

 

As a result, some of these establishments are more appropriately classified as import/export

 

 

 

 

 

establishments if the majority of the production activities are carried out in the mainland of China.

 

 

 

 

 

However, this change in statistical classification may not be readily recognized by all the employed

 

 

 

 

 

persons, particularly the technicians and craftsmen, of the establishments concerned. Hence, the GHS

 

 

 

 

 

employment estimate in respect of the manufacturing sector will be overstated to the extent that some

 

 

 

 

 

respondents mistakenly regard themselves as still being engaged in the manufacturing sector instead of

 

 

 

 

 

the import/export trades.