Some Asian economies got a boost last month as demand picked up and new business inflows grew more robust. Hong Kong? Not so much.

随着需求的复苏和新流入业务愈发强劲地增长，部分亚洲经济体上个月出现了增长。然而，香港却不在此列。

The Nikkei Hong Kong purchasing managers’ index tracking the territory’s private sector business activity came in at 48.2 in October, dropping back after gains put it at 49.3 in September and in in sight of the 50-point line delineating contraction from expansion.

跟踪研究香港私营部门业务活动的日经(Nikkei)香港采购经理人指数(PMI)在10月份的读数为48.2，这是继9月份增至49.3之后再次回落，而且落在了50这个荣枯线以下。

The reading marked the twentieth straight month of contraction for Hong Kong’s private sector as new work from mainland China dropped at the sharpest rate in four months and weaker demand prompted a reduction in output.

这一读数标志着，由于中国内地的新业务出现四个月内最快下滑以及需求降低导致产量下滑，香港私营部门的业务活动连续20个月出现收缩。

That led to the fastest rate of job cuts in six months during October, but despite this staff costs at businesses rose again – as they have in five of the last six months. Meanwhile input costs reversed course from a dramatic rise in September to register a sharp decrease last month, possibly due to more favourable exchange rates for Hong Kong’s US dollar-pegged currency and cheaper new products.

这一局面导致10月份香港工作岗位以半年内最快的速度流失。然而尽管如此，商界用工成本却再次攀升——此前六个月里有五个月也是这样。与此同时，上个月的投入成本走势逆转了9月份的大幅上升势头，录得急剧下滑的结果，其原因可能是由于紧盯美元的港币汇率上升以及新产品的降价。

Markit economist Bernard Aw, who compiles the monthly survey, said in lieu of evidence of stronger demand in the months to come, “the private sector is unlikely to lift itself out of the current downturn.”

编制这一月度调查的Markit经济学家Bernard Aw表示，今后几个月并没有需求走强的迹象，“私营部门不太可能摆脱目前的下行行情”。