bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Job vacancies for executives have hit their lowest level so far this year, as concerns over the handover continue to erode the confidence of the territory's corporate sector.

 Advertisements for executive job vacancies placed in Hong Kong's major daily newspapers in July fell by 4 per cent compared with June, a benchmark monthly study by recruitment consultancy Executive Leasing (EL) Hong Kong said.

  The total number of advertisements for executive positions had fallen by just under a third since July 1995, the survey reported.

  Last month, the finance sector led the fall in demand for senior personnel, with a drop in advertised posts of 18 per cent since June.

  EL principal Alfred Chown said the situation for financial executives would continue to deteriorate during August, leaving demand well below the same period last year.

  Demand for engineering executives fell by 10 per cent during July, reflecting in part a traditional decline during the summer months.

  Mr Chown said the drop also indicated 'the uncertainty that continues with regards to large infrastructure projects yet to be given formal approval'.

  Despite the significant fall in demand for financial and engineering executives, the overall drop had been limited by strong demand for executives in the information technology and marketing sectors, EL said.

  The technology sector had been particularly resilient, bucking the downward trend since December, the report said.

  Another positive factor has been strong demand for senior marketing personnel.

   Unlike other sectors, the number of positions available for marketing executives during July compared reasonably well with the same month in 1995.

  Mr Chown said he believed demand for marketing personnel would 'grow strongly' during the last quarter.

  Despite the general downward trend, Mr Chown said it was important to note that plenty of jobs still existed, particularly for marketing people in mainland-related ventures.

  'Many China ventures are now focusing more on marketing and establishing brand images, not just for fast-moving consumer products, but for industrial products as well,' he said.

  A trend which was beginning to lower local executive demand was the relocation of some companies' China marketing headquarters to the mainland, with smaller offices maintained in Hong Kong, Mr Chown said.

  Personnel were increasingly based closer to their target markets, such as Shanghai and Beijing, he said.



Defence of Guam: US conducts first ballistic missile intercept amid contest with China

China’s naval base handover in Cambodia: a sign of waning US influence?

Philippines’ Marcos Jnr rejects call to send warships to South China Sea: ‘we’re not at war’

South China Sea: Vietnam reef projects and runway may set scene for conflict with Beijing

South China Sea

Handover jitters hit demand for executives, survey shows