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Commenting on the latest figures, a government spokesman said that for the latest period August to October 1996, declines in the unemployment rates were seen in the construction and the community, social and personal services sectors, while slight increases were observed in the manufacturing and transport sectors. As a result, the unemployment rate was kept unchanged in overall terms.
As to the underemployment rate, the slight increase occurred mainly in the manufacturing sector, while the underemployment situation in the other major sectors was generally stable.
Growth in total employment continued to outpace that of labour supply. In the three months ending September 1996, total employment showed a notable increase of 3% over a year earlier, while total labour supply grew by 1.9%.
During the period July to September 1996, the number of unemployed persons with previous jobs was estimated at 68,200. Another 12,700 unemployed persons were first-time job-seekers. The number of underemployed persons was estimated at 42.000.
The 1996 Population By-census conducted in March 1996 provided a benchmark for revising estimates of the population made since the 1991 Population Census. Labour force statistics were therefore recompiled using the revised population estimates and hence they may be different from those released earlier.
Nevertheless, the effect of the revision on the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate is practically nil.
The unemployment and underemployment statistics were obtained from a continuous General Household Survey. The survey for July to September 1996 covered a quarterly sample of some 23,000 households or 78,300 persons, selected scientifically to represent the land-based civilian non-institutional population in Hong Kong. Data were obtained from the survey by interviewing each member aged 15 or over in the households sampled.
In the survey, the definitions used in measuring unemployment and underemployment follow closely those recommended by the International Labour Organisation.
"Seasonally adjusted" refers to adjustment for seasonal variations in the proportion of first-time job-seekers in the labour force.