Business operators in Hong Kong's 10 major sectors expect better trade in this year's third quarter, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Its quarterly business tendency survey results unveiled today found 38% of respondents in 530 prominent establishments forecast a better third quarter, while 6% expect things to worsen.

Analysed by sector, significantly more respondents in the construction; import and export trade; restaurants and hotels; communications; real estate; business services; and banks, financing and insurance sectors, foresee an improved business situation.

Respondents in all sectors covered expect a surge in business volume or output. Significantly more respondents in the construction; wholesale and retail; import and export trade; transport and related services; communications; real estate; and banks, financing and insurance sectors anticipate their business volume or output to rise.

More jobs

Respondents in all sectors foresee employment to rise in the quarter. The construction; wholesale and retail; restaurants and hotels; transport and related services; real estate; and banks, financing and insurance sectors expect to hire significantly more people.

More respondents in the construction; restaurants and hotels; transport and related services; real estate; business services; and banks, financing and insurance sectors foresee their prices and charges to rise. However, 15% of the import and export trade and 10% of the manufacturing sector expect their selling prices to fall, with only 6% and 3% anticipating a surge.

More details of the survey results are published in the Report on Quarterly Business Tendency Survey, Q3 2006, which can be  downloaded free of charge at the Statistical Bookstore website.