The average wage rate for June dropped 1.9% in nominal terms over the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department says.

About 61% of companies reported a fall in average wage rates, 19 percentage points higher than the figure in March. The drop was partly attributable to reductions in guaranteed bonuses and allowances, and the introduction of no-pay leave schemes in some firms.

About 33% of companies recorded an increase in average wage rates, down from 49% in March. The remaining 6% reported no change.

After discounting the decrease in consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (A), the overall average wage rate for all selected industry sections surveyed fell 0.3% in real terms.

The index of payroll per person engaged for all the industry sections surveyed dropped 0.7% in nominal terms in the second quarter over a year earlier. 

After netting out the effect of the decrease in consumer prices as measured by the Composite Consumer Price Index, the average payroll per person engaged fell 0.7% in real terms in the second quarter.