The information contained in this paper is extracted from the Graduate Employment Survey of 1996 to answer the following questions about B. Econ. graduates : -
Out of 155 B.Econ. graduates, 120 responded to our survey, representing a response rate of 77%. Of these, 93% were in full-time employment within six months of graduation. 4.2% went on for further studies, and 3.3% were still seeking full-time employment at the time of the survey in December 1996. (Table 1)
| Economics | HKU Overall * | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Male | Female | ||||||||||||||
| '96 | '95 | '96 | '95 | '96 | '95 | '96 | '95 | |||||||||
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| No. of respondents | 120 | 100 | 133 | 100 | 42 | 100 | 47 | 100 | 78 | 100 | 86 | 100 | 2139 | 100 | 2068 | 100 |
| F/T employed | 111 | 92.5 | 117 | 88 | 38 | 90.5 | 39 | 83 | 73 | 93.6 | 78 | 90.7 | 1743 | 81.5 | 1726 | 83.5 |
| P/T employed seeking F/T job | 3 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4.8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1.6 | 18 | 0.9 |
| Unemployed seeking F/T job | 1 | 0.8 | 5 | 3.8 | 1 | 2.4 | 2 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.5 | 34 | 1.6 | 36 | 1.7 |
| Further studies | 5 | 4.2 | 10 | 7.5 | 1 | 2.4 | 5 | 10.6 | 4 | 5.1 | 5 | 5.8 | 314 | 14.7 | 281 | 13.6 |
| Emigration/home country | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.28 | 1 | 0.1 |
| Not seeking F/T job | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.4 | 6 | 0.3 |
* HKU overall refers to the figure for the total HKU population and includes M.B.,B.S. and B.D.S. graduates.
Of the 5 graduates who pursued further studies, 3 were enrolled in local tertiary institutions while the other 2 students went to Canada and Australia respectively. Table 2 shows the academic programmes pursued and Table 3 shows the source of finance.
| Field of Study | Academic programme |
|---|---|
| Master (Coursework) | |
| Social Sciences | 2 |
| Business Administration | 1 |
| Others | 2 |
| Source of Finance | No. of Graduates |
|---|---|
| Own Fund | 4 |
| Teaching Assistantship/Studentship | 1 |
Among those graduates who were in full-time employment, 89% secured their first job offer before the end of September. The figure increased to 100% by December. (Figure 1)
No Response = 2
Figure 1. Time taken to secure employment
The largest employment sector for B. Econ. graduates was commerce and industry (77%), followed by civil service (13%) and education (9.1%). Only 1 graduate (0.9%) joined community, social and personal services (Figure 2). Compared with their female counterparts, a higher percentage of male graduates joined commerce and industry (87% vs. 73%). The reverse was true for the civil service (8.1% vs. 15%). (Figure 3)
Figure 2. Employment sectors
Figure 3. Employment sectors by sex
In general, the average income of B.Econ. graduates was similar to that of their predecessors in the previous year. (Table 4)
| Basic Salary | Gross Income | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.Econ. | HKU Average * | B.Econ. | HKU Average * | |||||
| '96 | '95 | '96 | '95 | '96 | '95 | '96 | '95 | |
| Mean | $12,478 | $12,007 | $14,457 | $14,204 | $13,898 | $13,094 | $15,902 | $15,662 |
| Median | $11,000 | $10,800 | $12,000 | $12,000 | $12,935 | $11,917 | $13,542 | $13,230 |
| Minimum | $4,500 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $6,000 | $7,683 | $5,500 | $3,792 |
| Maximum | $31,230 | $29,005 | $55,000 | $60,000 | $31,230 | $29,005 | $60,000 | $60,000 |
* HKU average refers to the figure for the total HKU population and includes M.B.,B.S. and B.D.S. graduates.
62% of the B.Econ. graduates in full-time employment had more than one job offer. In fact, 38% reported having received three or more offers (Figure 4). The average number of job offers was 2.4, compared with 2.2 last year.
Figure 4. No. of full-time job offers
Among the 111 B.Econ. graduates in full-time employment, 57% worked as business professionals* and 10% as accounting/audit trainees. Their job titles and the names of their employers are listed below.
| Employers : | Job Titles : |
|---|---|
| CIVIL SERVICE - | |
| * Government Constitutional Affair Branch | * Executive Officer II |
| * Government Secretariat | * Executive Officer II |
| * Government Secretariat | * Executive Officer II |
| * Government Secretariat | * Executive Officer II |
| * Home Affairs Branch | * Assistant Secretary (Administrative Officer) |
| * Home Affairs Branch | * Executive Officer II |
| * Home Affairs Department | * Executive Officer II |
| * Immigration Department | * Executive Officer |
| * Labour Department | * Assistant Labour Officer II |
| * Labour Department | * Assistant Labour Officer II |
| * Management Service Agency | * Management Services Officer II |
| * Registration & Electoral Office | * Executive Officer II |
| * Royal Hong Kong Police Force | * Probationary Inspector |
| * Transport Complaints Unit | * Executive Officer II |
| EDUCATION- | |
| * Cognitio College | * Certificate Master |
| * Hong Kong College of Radiologists | * Executive Officer |
| * Emmanuel Lutheran College | * Graduate Mistress |
| * Informatics | * Course Consultant |
| * Law Woo Memorial Secondary School | * Graduate Master |
| * Munsang College | * Graduate Master |
| * Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College | * Graduate Master |
| * Queen's College | * Graduate Master |
| * Salesian English School | * Graduate Mistress |
| * Organisation's name not reported | * Graduate Master |
| COMMUNITY,SOCIAL & PERSONAL SERVICES - | |
| * Information Open Institute | * Service Executive |
| COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY - | |
| * Airfield Works Joint Venture | * Plant Clerk |
| * Apollo International Freight Forwarders Ltd | * Manager Trainee |
| * Apple Daily | * Reporter |
| * Asian Sources Publication Ltd | * Secretary |
| * Australia & NewZealand Banking Group Ltd | * Human Resources Co-ordinator |
| * Baltron (HK) Ltd | * Business Promotion Officer |
| * Bank of China | * Officer |
| * Castle Worldwise Ltd | * Merchandiser |
| * Chevalier Companies Ltd | * Management Trainee |
| * China Lement Co (HK) Ltd | * Buyer |
| * Colliers Jardine HK Ltd | * Property Officer |
| * Coopers & Lybrand, CPA | * Tax Associate |
| * Dairy Farm Co Ltd | * Management Trainee |
| * Dairy Farm International Ltd | * Management Trainee |
| * Dan Mackarfield Associated Ltd | * Officer |
| * Dao Heng Bank | * Management Trainee |
| * Dao Heng Bank | * Management Trainee |
| * Dao Heng Bank | * Management Trainee |
| * Dao Heng Bank | * Management Trainee |
| * Dao Heng Bank | * Management Trainee |
| * DDB Needham Worldwide Communications Group | * Account Executive |
| * Eaton Hotel Hong Kong | * Management Trainee |
| * Euro Advisers | * Analyst |
| * Hang Seng Bank | * Customer Services Officer |
| * Hang Seng Bank | * Officer |
| * HK Stocks Exchange | * Compliance Assistant |
| * HongkongBank | * Assistant Manager |
| * Hong Kong Tramways | * Administrative Assistant |
| * IBM (China) HK | * Assistant Financial Analyst |
| * IBM HK China Operation | * Client Specialist |
| * ING Banking Securities (Hong Kong) Ltd | * Statistician |
| * Japan Tobacco (China) Ltd | * Sales Representative |
| * JOS | * Account Executive |
| * Kai Tak Co | * Officer |
| * Kincheng Banking Corporation | * Officer Trainee |
| * Kowloon Engineering Ltd Co | * Sales Coordinator |
| * Lewell Asia Ltd | * Project Officer |
| * Manulife Financial Ltd | * Insurance Underwriter |
| * Mass Transit Railway Corporation | * Finance-Management Trainee |
| * Modern Electronics Fty Ltd | * Marketing Executive |
| * Nanyang Commercial Bank | * Officer Trainee |
| * Nanyang Commercial Bank | * Officer |
| * Nestle Co Ltd | * Marketing Trainee |
| * Nestle Dairy Farm | * Management Trainee |
| * Next Magazine Publishing Ltd | * Business Reporter |
| * Ning Yuan International Co Ltd | * Clerk |
| * Pacific Challenge Securities Ltd | * Personnel Assistant |
| * Price Waterhouse | * Accountant |
| * Price Waterhouse | * Accountant |
| * Price Waterhouse | * Accountant II |
| * Price Waterhouse | * Tax Accountant |
| * Procter & Gamble | * Assistant Brand Manager |
| * Protect Property Ltd | * Administrative Assistant |
| * Rotary (HK) Ltd | * Secretary |
| * Sealand Holdings Co Ltd | * Assistant Executive |
| * Shanghai Commercial Bank | * Officer Trainee |
| * Silver Elm Business Information Ltd | * Customer Relations Executive |
| * Sin Hua Bank Ltd | * Officer |
| * SPS Securities Ltd | * Executive Trainee |
| * SPS Securities Ltd | * Executive Trainee |
| * Star Industrial Co Ltd | * Marketing Officer |
| * Sun Hung Kai Fund Management Ltd | * Investment Analyst |
| * Sun Hung Kai Fund Management Ltd | * Credit Officer Trainee |
| * Surecatch (China) Co Ltd | * Customer Service Manager |
| * The Bank of East Asia Ltd | * Executive Trainee |
| * The Bank of East Asia Ltd | * Executive Trainee |
| * The Industrial Bank of Japan | * Graduate Trainee |
| * Tiglion | * Administration Officer |
| * Treasure Land Property Consultants | * Marketing Executive |
| * Trempest Ltd | * Market Trainee and Secretary |
| * Trilease International Ltd | * Marketing Officer |
| * United Chinese Bank | * Executive Trainee |
| * Utopian Computer Systems Ltd | * Brand Manager |
| * VES (China) Ltd | * Management Trainee |
| * W I Carr (Far East) Ltd | * Bank Office Supporting Staff |
| * Wah Shing Hong | * Trading Executive |
| * Walton Group Ltd | * Marketing Executive Trainee |
| * Wellboone Ltd | * Sales Executive |
| * Wellcome Co Ltd | * Customer Relations Assistant |
| * Woo Foo Plastic Co | * Marketing Trainee |
| * Xerox (HK) Ltd | * Sales Trainee |
| * Tricom Telecom Ltd | * Occupation’s name not reported |
| * Organisation’s name not reported | * Dealer |
| * Organisation’s name not reported | * Loan Officer |
| * Organisation’s name not reported | * Personal Assistant to Manager |
* Business professionals include the following occupations : marketing / sales executives, shipping / airline / transport executives, trading executives / merchandisers / buyers and purchasing agents, travel executives, personnel / administrative / management executives, management consultants, investment consultants, bank executives, finance executives, organization and method officers, estate development / management officers, etc.
Note : Some alumni have indicated willingness to talk to individual students about their work. Their contact telephone number can be obtained from counsellors at CEPC.
Similar information on graduates from other disciplines of study are available for reference in the Careers Library. Please enquire with the CEPC.
Telephone : 2859 2314
Fax : (852) 2559 5238
E-Mail : CEPC@HKUCC.HKU.HK
Opening Hours :
Monday - Friday (9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
Saturday (9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Margaret Lee
Nelson Yip
August, 1997
The analysis is based on information provided by the respondents, and the Careers Education & Placement Centre should not be held responsible for any errors arising therefrom.
No part of this report may be reproduced in any form or by whatever means,
without written permission from the Director of the Careers Education and
Placement Centre,
The University of Hong Kong