(b)
- 40 -
whether it will consider requiring employers to inform the Labour Department when employees are dismissed or made redundant, so that the Labour Department can assist the displaced employees in obtaining re-employment; if not, why not?
Reply:
Mr President,
(a)(i) The different breakdown of the number of unemployed persons who became unemployed because of dismissal or lay-off for the past three years are set out in Tables 1-4 at Annex:
Unemployed persons with the mode of leaving last job being 'dismissed or laid off, by previous industry (detailed group) and sex (Table 1);
Unemployed persons with the mode of leaving last job being dismissed or laid off, by previous industry (detailed group) and age (Table 2);
Unemployed persons with the mode of leaving last job being dismissed or laid off, by previous occupation and sex (Table 3); and
Unemployed persons with the mode of leaving last job being dismissed or laid off, by previous occupation and age (Table 4).
(a)(ii) In the past three years (i.e. 94/95, 95/96 and 96/97), a total of 65,110 persons had participated in the various full-time retraining courses offered by the Employees Retraining Board. Those retrainees who were unemployed were accorded priority in enrolment for retraining courses.
The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) keeps no separate statistics on the number of retrainees who became unemployed as a result of retrenchment or lay-off, as these retrainees were eligible to apply for retraining courses on the same basis and enjoy the same priority as with any other unemployed persons. The ERB will consider whether it is useful to collect and publish these statistics on a regular basis.