Private-sector Vacancies Dip 47%

Total private-sector employment dropped 3.8% year-on-year in March while vacancies decreased 47%, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

Employment decreased in the food and beverage services (-12%), accommodation services covering hotels, guesthouses, boarding houses and other establishments providing short term accommodation (-10%), import and export trade (-8.7%), wholesale (-6.6%), and retail trade (-6.5%).

Employment increases were recorded in human health services (4.3%), and residential care and social work services (2.6%).

Of the 42,270 private-sector vacancies, 5,200 were from the financing and insurance industry, 5,150 from professional and business services excluding cleaning and similar services, 4,060 from residential care and social work services, 3,690 from education, and 3,580 from the import and export trade.