HONG KONG, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The average wage rate for all major sectors fell 1.8 percent year on year in nominal terms in September, local statistical authorities said Monday.

    The Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government about 52 percent companies surveyed for its wage index reported drops in average wage rates, compared with 61 percent in June.

    Forty-one percent of the companies said they had increases in average wage rates. The remaining 7 percent reported virtually no change.

    After discounting the changes in consumer prices, the overall average wage rate for all sections fell 2.6 percent in real terms.

    The index of payroll per person engaged for all the sectors surveyed rose 2.1 percent in nominal terms in the third quarter over a year earlier. After discounting the changes in consumer prices, it grew 3 percent in real terms.

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