Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Ratification: 1997)

Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention. Employment, unemployment and underemployment statistics. Statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes that statistics on the economically active population, employment and unemployment continue to be supplied to the ILO Department of Statistics (ILOSTAT) for dissemination through its database. The data is derived from the General Household Survey (GHS), with the most recent data referring to 2021. The Government indicates that, following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will actively explore the feasibility of implementing the Resolution on statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization adopted by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) at its 19th session in 2013 (Resolution I). It adds that the pandemic has disrupted the data collection work through household surveys in local communities, and that it is therefore not desirable to introduce changes to the GHS at this time, considering that this would pose further challenges to the data collection and could affect the validity of survey results. With respect to the application of Article 8 of the Convention, the Committee notes that statistics on the structure and distribution of the economically active population are compiled through the labour force survey and the population census. While the latest population census was carried out in 2021, the Committee notes that this data has not yet been supplied to ILOSTAT for dissemination. Nonetheless, the data and methodological information for the 2021 population census is published on the website of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) statistics office. Taking note of the considerations referenced by the Government regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide data and statistics pursuant to Article 7 of the Convention, as well as to provide updated information on developments and progress made toward the implementation of Resolution I adopted by the ICLS in 2013. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on any developments toward the implementation of the Resolution concerning statistics on work relationships, adopted by the 20th ICLS in 2018 (Resolution I), as well as to the Resolution concerning statistics on the informal economy, adopted by the 21st ICLS in 2023 (Resolution I). In addition, the Committee requests the Government to provide data and methodological information relating to the 2021 census, as well as to provide information with respect to the next census.

Article 9(1) and (2). Statistics of average earnings and hours of work. Statistics of time rates of wages and normal hours of work. The Committee notes that statistics covered under Article 9(1) of the Convention continue to be collected from the GHS, with the latest available data being from 2021. The Labour Earnings Survey (LES) and the Annual Earnings and Hours Survey (AEHS) also provide data with respect to hours actually worked. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated statistical data with respect to workers’ average monthly earnings and hours of work to the ILO Department of Statistics (ILOSTAT) for dissemination on its website.

Article 13. Statistics of household expenditure. The Committee notes that statistics on household expenditure are compiled from the Household Expenditure Survey, which is carried out every five years, with the most recent survey having been completed in 2019–20. It notes that statistics on wages and employment-related income are available from several sources, including the quarterly Labour Earnings Survey (LES) and the Annual Earnings and Hours Survey (AEHS). Nevertheless, the Committee notes that ILOSTAT has not yet received information from the Government in relation to the compilation of statistics on household income or on related methodology based on any sources other than those which compile employment statistics. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that statistics on median monthly domestic household income will be included as of the first quarter of 2022 in the set of statistics that is regularly provided by the Government to ILOSTAT on a quarterly basis. The Commission further notes the time series provided by the Government, which contains information from the third quarter of 2014 to the fourth quarter of 2021. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information with respect to household income, together with the corresponding methodological information to the ILO Department of Statistics (ILOSTAT) for dissemination through its website, as well as updated information on statistics of household expenditure, when these become available.