Total employment in the private sector rose 2.1% to 2,455,900 in December, while vacancies surged 25% to 48,070, the Census & Statistics Department says.

The import and export trade engaged 521,000 people, followed by the retail trade, engaging 236,800, the business-services sector with 233,200 people, and restaurants, 207,100.

Increases in employment were recorded in the financing and insurance (7.2%), medical, health and related services (6.1%), real estate (5.4%), hotels and boarding houses (4%) and the business-services (3.7%) sectors.

However, employment in the sanitary and similar services sector dropped 3.9%, while it fell 2% in the manufacturing sector. Jobs at construction sites fell 1.8%.

Of the 48,070 private-sector vacancies, 7,340 were from the import and export trade, 5,590 from the business-services sector, 5,540 from the recreational and other personal-services sector, 4,790 from restaurants, and 4,510 from the financing and insurance sector.

Vacancies surged in the recreational and other personal services sector (42%), restaurants (52%), business services (27%), the import and export trade (19%) and the financing and insurance sector (25%).