Unemployment drops to 6.3%
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down by 0.1 percentage point to 6.3% for the period between September and November compared to the period from August to October, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.
The underemployment rate also dropped by 0.4 percentage points to 3.4% for the period.
Total employment increased by 22,400 to 3,650,100 while the labour force also increased by around 8,900 to 3,894,400.
There were 244,300 unemployed people from September to November, a decrease of 13,500 from the preceding three-month period. The number of underemployed people also fell by 14,900 for the period to 133,100.
Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said the labour market conditions remained weak from September to November, though there was some marginal improvement amid the stabilisation of the third wave of local epidemic during the period.
Analysed by sector, the unemployment rate of the consumption and tourism-related sectors, including retail, accommodation and food services, fell somewhat to 10.1%.
Among those sectors, the unemployment rate for food and beverage service activities fell to 13.1%. The unemployment situation in many other sectors also improved, particularly in the education sector and the arts, entertainment and recreation sector.
Looking ahead, Dr Law said: "Given the fourth wave of local epidemic of late, the pressure on the labour market is likely to increase again in the near term.”
The Government will monitor the situation closely and roll out targeted measures to support hard-hit sectors when necessary, he added.
Updated on 17 Dec, 2020