Hong Kong's employment hit an all-time high of 3.386 million in June-August with 14,400 people finding work, Hong Kong's Census & Statistics Department said Tuesday.

The total labor force rose by 13,900 people to a record high of about 3.6 million. The underemployment rate dipped 0.1 percentage point to 2.7 percent.

Unemployment remained broadly stable as the rise in total employment was offset by the growth in total labor force.

According to the latest labor force statistics released Tuesday, the seasonally adjusted jobless rate stood at 5.7 percent, same as in May-July, and was the lowest in 46 months.

Rate falls were mainly seen in the construction, wholesale and retail trades, restaurants and hotels, and the amusement and recreational services sectors, offsetting rises seen in the manufacturing, sanitary services and education services sectors.

For the underemployment rate, falls were mainly seen in the construction, transport and wholesale trade sectors. The number of jobless was 216,000, little changed from May-July's figure. But the number of underemployed fell by 2,800 to 97,000.

Looking ahead, labor demand is likely to continue to grow along with the sustained pick-up in overall economic activity. This will help relieve pressure on the unemployment rate in the coming months.

(Xinhua News Agency September 21, 2005)