Job vacancies grew significantly in several sectors in March over the same month last year, with restaurants seeing a 79% rise, followed by retail trade, up 59%, financing and insurance, up 43%, and real estate, up 39%.

The Census & Statistics Department said total employment for the surveyed sectors as a whole grew 2% to 2.357 million people. Total vacancies in the private sector surveyed was 45,540, up 23% or 8,450 on last year.

The import and export trade engaged 513,300 people, followed by the retail trade with 225,900, the business services sector with 212,900, and restaurants with 193,400.

Increases in employment were recorded in hotels and boarding houses (9.3%), real estate (8.2%), the recreational and other personal services sector (5.8%), restaurants (4.8%) and retail trade (4.6%). Falls were seen at construction sites (-16.5%), wholesale trade (-3.1%), and in manufacturing (-1%).

Among the private sector vacancies, 9,530 were from the import and export trade, 5,440 from the business services sector, 4,820 from the retail trade, and 4,740 from the financing and insurance sector.