According to the figures released today (March 20) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total employment in the private sector surveyed decreased by 0.8% or 20 900 persons in December 2022 compared with a year earlier. The total number of vacancies was 73 150, representing an increase of 20% or 12 170 over the preceding year.
 
Employment statistics

     In December 2022, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 702 000 persons. The import and export trade engaged 380 000 persons, followed by professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 303 300 persons, retail trade 246 400 persons, financing and insurance 233 400 persons, and food and beverage services 223 000 persons.
 
     Movements in the employment in different surveyed industries varied when compared with a year earlier. Decreases in employment were mainly recorded in the industries of real estate (-3.4% or -4 900 persons), financing and insurance (-2.8% or -6 900 persons), manufacturing (-2.6% or -2 000 persons), and import and export trade (-2.3% or -8 800 persons). On the other hand, employment increased mainly in the industries of wholesale (4.0% or 2 000 persons), human health services (2.9% or 4 200 persons), and food and beverage services (2.4% or 5 200 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
 
Vacancies statistics

     Among the 73 150 private sector vacancies in December 2022, 7 750 were from the industry of education; 7 390 from transportation, storage, postal and courier services; 6 510 from human health services; 6 180 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services); and another 6 180 from financing and insurance.
 
     Vacancies increased in all the selected industries except the import and export trade industry in December 2022 over a year earlier. More distinct increases were observed in the industries of transportation, storage, postal and courier services (3 830 or 107%), arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (1 350 or 42%), education (1 240 or 19%), human health services (970 or 17%), and residential care and social work services (960 or 23%). Job vacancies figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 2.
 
     Analysed by major occupation category, private sector vacancies were observed mainly in the categories of service and sales workers (26 030 vacancies), professionals (13 970 vacancies), and associate professionals (11 680 vacancies). Job vacancies figures by major occupation category are shown in Table 3.
 
Seasonally adjusted statistics

     For discerning the latest trend in employment and vacancies in the private sector, it is useful to look at changes over a three-month period in the respective seasonally adjusted figures. Compared with September 2022, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries increased by 0.1% and 3.9% respectively in December 2022. The changes over three-month periods in the seasonally adjusted series of employment and vacancies are shown in Table 4.
 
Other information

     The above employment and vacancies statistics were obtained from the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites conducted by the C&SD. In the former survey, some economic activities (e.g. those dominated by self-employment, including taxi operators and hawkers) are not covered. Therefore, the respective employment and vacancies figures relate only to those selected industries included in the survey. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancies figures relate to manual workers only.
 
     A detailed breakdown of the above statistics is published in the following reports:
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics, December 2022"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050003&scode=452)
"Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, December 2022"
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050004&scode=452)
 
     Users can download these publications at the website of the C&SD.
 
     Enquiries on more detailed employment and vacancies statistics can be directed to the Employment Statistics and Central Register of Establishments Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5076 or email: employment@censtatd.gov.hk).
 

     The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, this morning (March 20) paid a courtesy call on the Director General of Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, Mr Li Bin, to exchange views and explore opportunities of enhancing collaboration. The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum, and various tourism industry representatives also joined the visit.

     Mr Yeung said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has always attached great importance to connections with Guangdong province. Exchanges between the two places at the community level have been frequent and there is much room for further collaboration on cultural tourism. As the country's Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) clearly supports Hong Kong in developing into an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism, Hong Kong takes up an important role in promoting the high-quality development of GBA tourism. With the country's support, I am confident that Hong Kong could bring a positive impact on developing the GBA into a world-class bay area for leisure by utilising its well-developed cross-boundary infrastructure and rich tourism resources. On cultural collaborations, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have built a platform for cultural co-operation since 2002 and will strive to strengthen the relevant mechanism, with a view to boosting opportunities for arts groups to perform in the GBA."

     The HKSAR Government has been proactively delivering projects since the promulgation of the Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has supported 54 local productions of different genres to stage a total of 141 performances in seven Mainland cities in the GBA as well as the Macao Special Administrative Region since 2018, and established its network and communication mechanism with major performance venues in the GBA. Create Hong Kong has also supported a number of activities to promote the development of creative industries in the GBA, which include participating in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Biannual Meeting to Discuss the Development of Film Industries 2021, inviting cities of the GBA to participate in "Business of Design Week", and sponsoring the PMQ in organising the "Renewed Creativity" roving exhibition in Shenzhen.
      
     Mr Yeung attended training activities for the tourism industry organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in Guangzhou this afternoon. He will return to Hong Kong tonight.

            

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, March 20, 2023 is 101.4 (up 0.1 against last Saturday's index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, March 18, 2023 was 101.3 (up 0.1 against last Friday's index).

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, at a media session after the Fight Crime Committee meeting at Central Government Offices this afternoon (February 24):
 
Reporter: You mentioned just now that, you mentioned two people I think, one of them visited 59 inmates for 395 times and the other 47 people for more than 200 times. What do you think they are trying to do? Are you saying that by making the visit to inmates they are endangering national security? If so, how do they do that? My second question is regarding He Jiankui. Can you explain why the visa of the mainland scientist is actually revoked? Do you think the matter actually affected Hong Kong's international image in terms of its talent attraction policy?
 
Secretary for Security: Regarding your question about two people who have visited the inmates for hundreds of times, first of all, you have to know that he has no personal connection with those inmates. And the purpose of his visit is basically to instil hatred against the Government and to instil negative feeling about the Government, which is in contradiction with our rehabilitation aims of our correctional institutions. So this is a security threat, this is a threat to Hong Kong. Your second question is about He Jiankui. Basically, we have to see each case on its own merit. If we have evidence to show that the applicant is not actually fitting all the criteria, of course we will screen out his/her application.
 
Reporter: Can you explain what are the crimes involved in terms of visiting the inmates?
 
Secretary for Security: Actually I am not saying that at this moment of time, there is evidence to substantiate a crime but this is something that we have to look into. Is there anyone trying to instil hatred, trying to endanger national security through influencing the inmates? This is something that we are looking into. As investigation is ongoing, I am afraid I cannot disclose more details but it is along that way. Thank you.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (February 24) reminded members of the public to stay alert to fraudulent calls purporting to be made by the Communications Authority (CA) or OFCA in relation to real-name registration for SIM-cards.

     A spokesman for OFCA said, "OFCA has received reports from members of the public today on fraudulent calls purporting to be made by the CA or OFCA. The calls were made in the form of pre-recorded message or by a real person claiming that as the recipients had failed to complete real-name registrations for their SIM-cards, their telephone services would be suspended unless they provided personal information for the callers to complete the real-name registration for them."

     OFCA clarified that the CA and OFCA have never made and will not make such phone calls. Members of the public should disregard these calls, and under no circumstances should they disclose their personal information to the callers. They may report cases of suspected phone scam to the Police.