Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department Monday announced that
the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 5.1 percent
in February-April 2006to a 57-month low of 4.9 percent in March-May
period.
A government spokesman noted that overall labor demand continued
to increase in March-May 2006, along with the sustained revival in
economic activity, adding that the total number of employment
surged to a new high of 3.44 million, according to a government
press release on Monday.
He said the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell below the
5 percent mark to 4.9 percent for the first time since
mid-2001.
Further improvement in the labor market situation will hinge on
the continued pick-up in the economy leading to greater job
creation for absorbing the new batch of fresh graduates and school
leavers entering the labor force, he said.
The spokesman pointed out that the labor market remained
buoyant. In May, the Labor Department captured 40,801 private
sector vacancies, up 14.3 percent over the same month last
year.
He said, comparing March-May 2006 with February-April 2006,
decreases in the unemployment rate were mainly observed in the
construction (especially decoration and maintenance), sanitary
services and communications sectors.
To facilitate fresh university graduates to enter the job
market, the department will hold a special two-day job fair for
them at the City Hall on June 28-29.
The sample survey for March-May 2006 involved some 23,000
households or 73,000 people, selected in accordance with a
scientifically designed sampling scheme to represent the population
of Hong Kong.
(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2006)