Construction labour costs rise from last year, but slightly less sharply

Construction labour costs rose more than 15.5 per cent last year compared with the previous year, the latest Census and Statistics Department report showed.

The year-on-year increase in 2012 was 16.2 per cent.

Updates about the business performance and operations of the construction and real estate sectors were released yesterday in the department's annual report.

Last year, operating expenses and compensation for construction employees amounted to HK$273.4 billion, the report showed.

About 22,300 companies were in business, directly hiring some 185,800 people, an average of 8.3 employees each. Employment in the sector remained fairly stable; in 2012, 22,309 companies hired 184,563 workers.

In real estate, 7,100 companies engaged about 110,400 people last year.