Job vacancies increased in most sectors in September compared to a year earlier, but a drop in demand for manual workers at construction sites and in the manufacturing sector continues, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Remarkable increases were observed in the transport and storage sector (150%), the wholesale trade (120%) and the retail trade (97%).

But declines in vacancies were observed in the medical, health and related services (-18%) and the welfare and community services (-16%) fields.

The selected major sectors as a whole employed 2,273,600 people, a 2.7% increase representing 60,100 posts over a year before. The import/export trade engaged 510,200 people, followed by the retail trade with 219,400 people, business services sector with 202,000, and restaurants with 181,300.

Employment increases were recorded in restaurants (6.6%), hotels and boarding houses (6.4%), retail trade (6%), transport and storage sector (5.1%) and business services (4.9%).

There were declines in construction sites (-8.1%) and the manufacturing sector (-2.8%).

For all the selected major sectors taken together, the total number of vacancies in the private sector rose 55% to 32,830.

Of these, 7,010 were from the import and export trade, 4,160 from the business services sector, 3,270 in retail trade, and 3,160 in financing and insurance.

Analysed by major occupation, private sector vacancies were mainly observed for associate professionals (11,520), service workers and shop sales workers (7,350) and clerks (5,740).