Second, the majority of this group have been unemployed because they leave the job of their own accord. For the three months of September to November 1996, such unemployed persons account for 64%, compared with the corresponding rate of 40% for the total number of unemployed persons.
Third, the duration of unemployment for this group is significantly shorter than that for other groups. For the three months of September to November 1996, 70% of this group have been unemployed for less than three months and only 7% have been jobless for six months or more. These compare with the corresponding rates of 59% and 23% respectively for those unemployed above the age of 30.
In tackling the unemployment problem, the Government's objective is to help the unemployed workers re-enter the labour market through the provision of both employment services and appropriate training in the skills required of the labour market. These services are available to unemployed workers of all age groups, including those of the 15-19 age group.
For employment services, the Local Employment Service (LES) of the Labour Department provides free employment assistance and counselling service for job- seekers of all ages. While we do not have separate statistics on LES registrants of the 15-19 age group, our statistics show that out of a total of 118,844 job-seekers registered at the LES in 1996, 55,507 belonged to the age group of 15-29, and 12,185 job offers were secured for them, representing a placement rate of 22% which is broadly in line with the overall placement rate for all registrants.
The Labour Department also provides advisory and guidance service specifically for teenagers through a variety of programmes such as the Careers Information Centres and Careers Expos.
As regards the provision of manpower training, the Vocational Training Council, the Construction Industry Training Authority and the Clothing Industry Training Authority offer a wide range of courses to provide skills training to prepare those with secondary educational standard for employment. They also provide skills upgrading courses so that the trainees can meet the changing demands of their jobs and sustain their employment.
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