The total employment of all sectors in Hong Kong rose to 3.5 million last year, up 8.5% or 272,600 workers on the 2002 figure, the Census & Statistics Department says.

The biggest growth was found in the real estate and business services sector which surged 18.6%.

People working in the other community, social and personal services sector grew 17.1%, while those in the import and export trade sector rose 12.7%.

But the manufacturing sector saw a 12.6% fall. Other declines were found in public administration (-8.7%) and construction (-1.6%).

In the five-year period about one-third, or more than a million people, worked in three sectors - import and export (16.1%), wholesale and retail (10.4%), and restaurants and hotels (7.5%).

The share of all service sectors grew from 84.4% in 2002 to 86.6% in 2007.

More information is available in the latest Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics.