The average wage rate rose 1.4% in nominal terms in December over a year earlier, the Census & Statistics Department says. This was larger than the 0.8% increase in September.

About 52% of companies surveyed reported some increase in average wage rates, 37% some decrease, while the remaining 11% saw almost no change in average wage rates.

After discounting the increase in consumer prices, the overall average wage rate for all the major sectors dropped 0.3% in real terms.

In the fourth quarter of 2005, the index of payroll per person engaged for all the major sectors surveyed rose 3.7% in nominal terms.

After netting out the effect of the increase in consumer prices, the average payroll per person engaged rose 1.9% 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.

Report includes detailed breakdowns

Detailed breakdowns of the payroll and wage statistics are published in the Quarterly Report of Wage & Payroll Statistics, December 2005. The publication is now on sale at $33 a copy, from the Government Publications Centres.

It can also be purchased online at the Hong Kong Statistical Bookstore. Soft copies of the publications purchased are available for immediate downloading, while hard copies will be delivered by mail.