Staff reporterHong Kong's exports rose 25 percent year-on-year in November, beating estimates while the nominal average wage rate rose 1.3 percent in September from a year ago, government data showed. Imports also rose by 20 percent, leading to a visible trade deficit of HK$11.6 billion, the Census and Statistics Department said. The department also released wage and payroll statistics yesterday which showed that after discounting changes in consumer prices, the overall average wage rate decreased by 0.2 percent in real terms in September over a year earlier. In payrolls, the index of payroll per person increased by 1.1 percent in nominal terms in the third quarter from a year ago but decreased by 1.1 percent in real terms after taking inflation into consideration. The government said that the latest figures indicated the situation up to September 2021 only and with the Covid pandemic remaining under control in the city and the economy continuing to recover, the employment and income conditions should continue to improve.

Source: The Standard December 29, 2021 01:15 UTC