Statistics
2017 Health Manpower Survey on Medical Laboratory Technologists
Key Findings
1. The medical laboratory technologists covered in the 2017 Health Manpower Survey (HMS) were medical laboratory technologists registered with the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board of Hong Kong under the Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance (Chapter 359) as at the survey reference date - 31.3.2017.
2. The number of medical laboratory technologists covered was 3 426.
3. Of the 3 426 medical laboratory technologists covered, 1 205 responded to the survey, giving an overall response rate of 35.2%. Among the respondents, 1 012 (84.0%) were economically active*† (active) and 193 (16.0%) were economically inactive*‡ (inactive) in the local medical laboratory technology profession.
4. Of the 1 012 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 984 (97.2%) were practising in the local medical laboratory technology profession, 16 (1.6%) were seeking jobs, and 12 (1.2%) believed that work was not available, were waiting to take up a new job, expecting to return to their original jobs or starting business at subsequent date in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the 30 days before the survey.
5. The survey findings presented below were based on the 984 responding medical laboratory technologists who were practising in the local medical laboratory technology profession as at 31.3.2017. The percentages presented below may not add up to 100% due to missing responses and rounding.
| (i) |
One medical laboratory technologists did not indicate the gender. Among the remaining 983 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 427 (43.4%) were male and 556 (56.6%) were female, giving an overall sex ratio (males per 100 females) of 76.8. Apart from seven medical laboratory technologists who did not indicate their age, the median age of the remaining 977 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated was 43.0 years. |
| (ii) |
Distribution by sector of the main job§ showed that 491 (49.9%) were working in the Hospital Authority, followed by 341 (34.7%) in the private sector, 83 (8.4%) in the Government and 69 (7.0%) in the academic and subvented sectors. |
| (iii) |
Of the 984 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated, 79.2% spent most of their working time on medical laboratory tests, followed by 16.2% on administration / management, 3.0% on research and 0.9% on teaching. |
| (iv) |
The median number of hours of work (excluding meal breaks) per week of the 984 active medical laboratory technologists enumerated was 44.0 hours. Among them, 139 (14.1%) medical laboratory technologists were required to undertake on-call duty (excluding normal duty), with a median number of 10.0 hours of on-call duty (excluding normal duty) per week. |
* In the survey, the criteria used in defining economically active / inactive followed those recommended by the International Labour Organization, which are also being used by the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong.
† "Economically active" medical laboratory technologists comprised all "employed" and "unemployed" medical laboratory technologists. "Employed" medical laboratory technologists referred to those medical laboratory technologists practising in the medical laboratory technology profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, while "unemployed" medical laboratory technologists referred to those medical laboratory technologists who (a) were not practising in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the survey period; (b) had been available for work during the seven days before the survey; and (c) had sought work in the local medical laboratory technology profession during the 30 days before the survey.
‡ "Economically inactive" medical laboratory technologists comprised the medical laboratory technologists who were not practising in the medical laboratory technology profession in Hong Kong during the survey period, but excluding those who had been on leave during the survey period and who were "economically active" but "unemployed".
§ Main jobs referred to the jobs in which the medical laboratory technologists had spent most of their working time.
6. Among the 193 inactive medical laboratory technologists:
|
(i) |
162 (83.9%) medical laboratory technologists reported not practising in the medical laboratory technology profession in Hong Kong and not seeking job in the medical laboratory technology profession during the 30 days before the survey. The reasons for not seeking job included: 95 (58.6%) were working in other professions, 31 (19.1%) were retired, 20 (12.3%) were engaged in household duties and nine (5.6%) wanted to take rest / had no motive to work / had no financial need. |
| (ii) |
18 (9.3%) medical laboratory technologists reported practising overseas and 13 (6.7%) medical laboratory technologists reported practising in the Mainland. |
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Activity Status of Medical Laboratory Technologists Covered |