Statistical Highlights

Public Service

Research Office Legislative Council Secretariat

Non-civil service contract staff ISSH10/17-18

Figure 1 – Number and proportion* of full-time Highlights NCSC staff, 2006-2017  In January 1999, the Government began to 30 000 12% 10.3% 10.2% employ staff under non-civil service contract 25 000 9.0% 10% ("NCSC") terms to increase operational 8.2% flexibility of individual bureaux or 20 000 18 537 18 344 7.1% 8% departments ("B/Ds"). Following a special 16 186 6.5% 14 818 5.5% review conducted by the 15 000 12 900 6% 12 036 ("CSB") in 2006, a significant part of NCSC 10 380 10 000 4% positions with established long-term service needs have been progressively replaced by 5 000 2% civil service posts over the past decade.

2006 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017  Reflecting this trend, the number of NCSC Note: (*) Ratio of full-time NCSC staff to sum of civil service staff has fallen by a cumulative 44% in establishment and full-time NCSC staff. 11 years, from a peak of 18 537 in 2006 to Figure 2 – Major B/Ds employing NCSC staff in 10 380 in 2017. To a considerable extent, 2013 and 2017 this was attributable to the creation of some 7 930 civil service posts to replace NCSC 2013 2017 positions during the period. As a ratio to the total government employees, NCSC staff 2 048 1 818 (16%) also halved from 10.3% to 5.5% (Figure 1). (18%) 1 908 6 418 5 358 1 293  Analyzed by B/D, Hongkong Post ("HKP"), (15%) (12%) (50%) (52%) Leisure and Cultural Services Department ("LCSD"), Bureau ("EDB") and 1 336 1 190 710 1 201 (10%) (9%) Electrical and Mechanical Services (7%) (12%) Department ("EMSD") remained the major Hongkong Post employers of NCSC staff in 2017, accounting Leisure and Cultural Services Department for half of the overall NCSC appointments Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (Figure 2). Others  Analyzed by reason for employment, 45% of Figure 3 – Reasons for hiring NCSC staff in 2017 NCSC staff were to meet the time-limited or

Time-limited/seasonal service seasonal service needs, as manifested in needs hiring of about 780 NCSC staff during the

8% Mode of service delivery under swimming season by LCSD in 2017 and about 9% review/ likely to be changed 900 NCSC staff for time-limited school-based education initiatives under EDB in 2016. 45% Market fluctuations 17% While 17% were engaged by departments (including HKP and EMSD's Staff required to work less than the hours required of civil trading fund arm) for prompt response to 21% servants market fluctuations, 21% were to meet The latest expertise in the market service needs which were under review (such needed as public library service of LCSD) (Figure 3).

Non-civil service contract staff (cont'd)

Figure 4 – Full-time NCSC staff by salary range, Highlights 2013-2017 100%  There are public concerns over pay and HK$30,000 service conditions of NCSC staff. During 80% or above 2013-2017, the proportion of NCSC staff 60% HK$16,000- earning HK30,000 or above per month HK$29,999 increased from 12% to 17%, while those 40% HK$8,000- earning HK$16,000-HK$29,999 per month HK$15,999 20% also went up from 20% to 28%. However, Below HK$8,000* 5% still earned less than HK$8,000 per month, as a majority of them were paid at an 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 hourly rate in HKP (Figure 4). While Note: (*) Some of the staff were paid at an hourly rate. complete statistics are not publicly available,

CSB indicated that the rate of pay Figure 5 – Full-time NCSC staff by length of service adjustments for NCSC staff in major B/Ds in in 2013 and 2017 2017-2018 were close to that for civil servants in the same year. 4 746 (37%) * ≥ 5 years 3 673  Analyzed by tenure, the number of NCSC staff (35%) 1 494 (12%) with at least five years of continuous service 3 years - 1 184 (11%) decreased from the peak of 4 746 in 2013 to <5 years 3 673 in 2017. The proportion of such NCSC 6 660 5 523 < 3 years (52%) staff thus slightly dropped from 37% to 35% (53%) over this period (Figure 5).

2013 2017  There are also concerns over how far the Note: (*) 1 030 of them have worked in different positions in the same serving NCSC staff can be selected in open B/D. recruitment in the event their positions are

Figure 6 – NCSC staff appointed as civil servants converted into civil service posts. According to CSB, 6 999 NCSC staff were recruited as by B/D, 2007-2015 civil servants during 2007-2015. By virtue of their relevant working experience, the success rate of civil service post applications Civil Service Others for NCSC staff was 15%, 6.5 times higher than 1 978 Bureau (28%) that of 2% for other applicants. Based on 2 982 (43%) limited statistics up to 2015, CSB was the largest employer of NCSC-turned-civil- 677 (10%) Electrical and servants, with a share of 28%, followed by 529 Mechanical Services EMSD (10%) (Figure 6). 407 426 (8%) Department (6%) (6%) Buildings Leisure and Cultural Department Department Services Department of Health

Data source: Latest figures from Civil Service Bureau.

Research Office Information Services Division Legislative Council Secretariat 26 January 2018 Tel: 2871 2139

------Statistical Highlights are compiled for Members and Committees of the Legislative Council. They are not legal or other professional advice and shall not be relied on as such. Statistical Highlights are subject to copyright owned by The Legislative Council Commission (The Commission). The Commission permits accurate reproduction of Statistical Highlights for non-commercial use in a manner not adversely affecting the Legislative Council, provided that acknowledgement is made stating the Research Office of the Legislative Council Secretariat as the source and one copy of the reproduction is sent to the Legislative Council Library. The paper number of this issue of Statistical Highlights is ISSH10/17-18. 2