The average wage for urban Chinese employees for the first six months of this year has grown 12.9 percent to 14,638 yuan (US$2,150) since the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

The average wages for urban finance industry employees were 30,603 yuan for six months, making them the highest paid sector.

Information technology employees' average wages reached 27,730 yuan. Science and technology employees were next with average wages of 23,248 yuan.

The hotel and catering, construction and water conservation, and environment and public management sectors recorded the lowest wages, with an average of 9,885 yuan, 10,349 yuan and 11,666 yuan, respectively.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2009)