Statistics and Census Services released the results of Manpower Needs and Wages Survey for the second quarter of 2005, the survey coverage included Wholesale & Retail Trade and Transport, Storage & Communications (except Travel Agencies), but excludes all own-account workers in these two industries. Information on the number of employees, earnings and number of vacancies was extrapolated based on the results obtained from 795 statistical units successfully interviewed, as follows: At the end of the second quarter of 2005, a total of 18,906 paid employees were working in Wholesale & Retail Trade, within which 10,422 were in Retail Trade. Compared with the same period of 2004, number of paid employees in Wholesale & Retail Trade increased 10.1%. In June 2005, average earnings (excluding year-end bonuses, holiday allowances, profit-sharing bonuses and other similar bonuses) for full-time employees in Wholesale & Retail Trade was MOP 6,254, up by 7.6% over the same period of 2004. Transport, Storage & Communications took on 7,350 paid employees, within which 2,292 were working in Supporting and Auxiliary Transport Activities, 2,291 were in Post & Telecommunications and 1,434 were in Land Transport. Compared with the same period of 2004, number of paid employees in Transport, Storage & Communications increased 7.1%. In June 2005, the average monthly earnings for full-time employee in Transport, Storage & Communications was MOP 10,955, which increased by 4.7% compared with the same period of 2004. At the end of June 2005, Wholesale & Retail Trade reported to have 1,924 vacancies, of which 1,264 vacancies were in Retail Trade. In addition, Transport, Storage & Communications had 555 vacancies, of which 331 posts were in Land Transport. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 55.6% of the vacant posts in Wholesale & Retail Trade required working experience, while 36.8% in Transport, Storage & Communications required the same. In Wholesale & Retail Trade, 60.8% of the vacant posts required junior secondary or lower in educational attainment, while 28.3% of the vacant posts in Transport, Storage & Communications opted toward senior secondary or higher education. Besides Cantonese, Mandarin was more preferred in Wholesale & Retail Trade, at 50.8%; however, no particular language requirement was needed in Transport, Storage & Communications (31.6%).
