Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the number of persons engaged in Wholesale & Retail Trade increased by 4.7% year-on-year to 68,551 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. Among them, 43,488 were working in Retail Trade, up by 6.0%. Meanwhile, persons engaged in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector (14,513) rose by 3.9% year-on-year, whereas those in Security Activities (12,755) and Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities (919) dropped by 1.7% and 3.4% respectively.

In December 2023, average earnings (excluding irregular remuneration) of full-time employees in all the surveyed industries increased, due mainly to the low base of comparison caused by a relatively large number of employees being placed on unpaid leave in the same month of 2022. Average earnings of those in Wholesale & Retail Trade (MOP14,740) went up by 7.3% year-on-year, and average earnings of those in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector (MOP21,870), Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities (MOP19,610) and Security Activities (MOP13,210) grew by 9.6%, 6.5% and 2.6% respectively.

With the gradual recovery of the economy, the demand for manpower increased. Job vacancies in Retail Trade (2,420) and Security Activities (1,418) at the end of the fourth quarter rose by 948 and 307 respectively year-on-year. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 88.2% of the vacancies in Retail Trade required senior secondary education or below, while 92.5% of the vacancies in Security Activities required only junior secondary education or lower. As regards language skills, 58.7% and 39.0% of the vacancies in Retail Trade required knowledge of Mandarin and English respectively, while the corresponding proportions for Security Activities were 93.1% and 37.4%.

In the fourth quarter, the employee recruitment rate (5.4%) and the job vacancy rate (6.4%) in Retail Trade went up by 1.4 and 2.1 percentage points respectively year-on-year. As for Security Activities, the employee recruitment rate (6.5%) and the job vacancy rate (10.4%) showed respective increases of 2.6 and 2.3 percentage points year-on-year. The figures indicated that there were still many vacant posts to be filled in these two industries.

The Survey on Manpower Needs and Wages for the fourth quarter of 2023 covered Wholesale & Retail Trade; Transport, Storage & Communications; Security Activities; and Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities. Meanwhile, the self-employed were excluded.