Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Overall Wage and Payroll Statistics

According to the figures released today (June 26) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed, as measured by the wage index, increased by 3.4% in nominal terms in March 2026 over a year earlier.

About 62% of the companies reported increase in average wage rates in March 2026 compared with a year ago. A total of 33% of the companies recorded decrease in average wage rates over the same period. The remaining 5% reported virtually no change in average wage rates.

After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (A), the overall average wage rate for all the selected industry sections surveyed increased by 1.7% in real terms in March 2026 over a year earlier. 

As for payroll, the index of payroll per person engaged for all the industry sections surveyed increased by 3.4% in nominal terms in the first quarter of 2026 over a year earlier. 

After discounting the changes in consumer prices as measured by the Composite Consumer Price Index, the average payroll per person engaged increased by 1.8% in real terms in the first quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier.

The wage rate includes basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses. Payroll includes elements covered by wage rate as well as other irregular payments to workers such as discretionary bonuses and overtime allowances. The payroll statistics therefore tend to show relatively larger quarter-to-quarter changes, affected by the number of hours actually worked and the timing of payment of bonuses and back-pay.

Sectoral Changes

For the nominal wage indices, year-on-year increases were recorded in all selected industry sections in March 2026, ranging from 2.5% to 4.0%.

For the real wage indices, year-on-year increases were also recorded in all selected industry sections in March 2026, ranging from 0.9% to 2.3%.

The year-on-year changes in the nominal and real wage indices for the selected industry sections from March 2025 to March 2026 are shown in Table 1.

As for the nominal indices of payroll per person engaged, year-on-year increases were recorded in all selected industry sections in the first quarter of 2026, ranging from 2.3% to 4.1%. 

For the real payroll indices, year-on-year increases were also recorded in all selected industry sections in the first quarter of 2026, ranging from 0.7% to 2.5%.

The year-on-year changes in the nominal and real indices of payroll per person engaged for selected industry sections from the first quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026 are shown in Table 2. The quarterly changes in the seasonally adjusted nominal and real indices of payroll per person engaged in the same period are shown in Table 3.

Commentary 

A Government spokesman said that wages and labour earnings rose further in the first quarter of 2026 over a year earlier, at a pace similar to that in the preceding quarter. A broad-based rise was recorded, with all selected industries registering increases in the average wage rate and payroll per person engaged.

Looking ahead, the ongoing expansion of the Hong Kong economy should continue to render support to labour demand, and thus wages and labour earnings. The Government will continue to keep a close watch on the potential implications of the evolving external uncertainties on the Hong Kong economy.

Other Information

Both wage indices and payroll indices are compiled quarterly based on the results of the Labour Earnings Survey (LES) conducted by C&SD. Wage index only covers employees up to the supervisory level (i.e. not including managerial and professional employees), whereas payroll index covers employees at all levels and proprietors actively engaged in the work of the establishment.

Apart from the differences in employee coverage, wage statistics are conceptually different from the payroll statistics. Firstly, wage rate for an employee refers to the sum earned for his normal hours of work. It covers basic wages and other regular and guaranteed allowances and bonuses, but excludes earnings from overtime work and discretionary bonuses, which are however included in payroll per person engaged. Secondly, the payroll index of an industry is an indicator of the simple average payroll received per person engaged in the industry. Its movement is therefore affected by changes in wage rates, number of hours of work and occupational composition in the industry. In contrast, the wage index of an industry is devised to reflect the pure changes in wage rate, with the occupational composition between two successive statistical periods being kept unchanged. In other words, the wage index reflects the change in the price of labour. Because of these conceptual and enumeration differences between payroll and wage statistics, the movements in payroll indices and in wage indices do not necessarily match closely with each other.

It should also be noted that different consumer price indices are used for compiling the real indices of wage and payroll to take into account the differences in their respective occupation coverage. Specifically, the Composite Consumer Price Index, being an indicator of overall consumer prices, is taken as the price deflator for payroll of workers at all levels of the occupational hierarchy. The Consumer Price Index (A), being an indicator of consumer prices for the relatively low expenditure group, is taken as the price deflator for wages in respect of employees engaged in occupations up to the supervisory level.

Detailed breakdowns of the payroll and wage statistics are published in the “Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics, March 2026”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050009&scode=210).

For enquiries on wage and payroll statistics, please contact the Wages and Labour Costs Statistics Section (1) of C&SD (Tel: 2887 5550 or email: wage@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

     The Judiciary today (June 26) announced that the e-Appointment service will be extended to applications for registration of Enduring Power of Attorney (EPoA) in the High Court Registry from next Friday (July 3), for the booking of appointments from July 6.

     Starting from July 6, 2026, anyone who wishes to apply for registration of an EPoA at the High Court Registry is required to make an online appointment in advance via the e-Appointment System at www.judiciary.hk/en/court_services_facilities/hcr_index.html. For details, please refer to the Guidance Notes on the system’s webpage. Walk-in applications without an appointment will no longer be accepted. Walk-in applicants will need to book an appointment for another day via the system, unless there are remaining timeslots in the afternoon of the same day.

     Registered users of “iAM Smart” may use the auto form-filling function of “iAM Smart” to provide relevant personal data for making appointments.

     The e-Appointment service aims at saving court users’ time and enhancing the operational efficiency of court registries and offices. It has already been made available for a wide range of services, including those at the Appeals Registry of the Clerk of Court’s Office of the High Court, the Apostille Service Office of the High Court Registry, the High Court Registry, the Probate Registry, the District Court Registry, the Family Court Registry, the Lands Tribunal Registry, the Labour Tribunal Registry and the Integrated Mediation Office. Details are available at www.judiciary.hk/en/court_services_facilities/es_index.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region