The average wage rate rose 0.8% in nominal terms in September over a year earlier, the Census & Statistics Department says. This was larger than the 0.4% increase in June.

About 51% of companies surveyed reported some increase in average wage rates, 35% some decrease, while the remaining 14% saw almost no change.

After discounting the increase in consumer prices, the overall average wage rate for all the major sectors dropped by 0.7% in real terms.

In the third quarter of 2005, the index of payroll per person engaged for all the major sectors surveyed rose 3.2% in nominal terms.

After netting out the effect of the increase in consumer prices, the average payroll per person engaged rose 1.8% in real terms.

The wage rate includes basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses. The wage indices cover employees up to the supervisory level, not including managerial and professional employees.

Detailed breakdowns of the payroll and wage statistics are published in the Quarterly Report of Wage & Payroll Statistics, September 2005.

The publication is now on sale at $37 a copy, from the Hong Kong Statistical Bookstore. Soft copies of the publications purchased are available for immediate downloading, while hard copies will be delivered by mail.

For enquiries on payroll and wage statistics, please contact the department at 2887 5550.