41.
We do not keep statistics on the number of unemployed persons who had been dismissed or laid off, and who are receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA). This is because the CSSA Scheme seeks to provide assistance to financially vulnerable members of our community to meet their basic needs, regardless of sex, age, family status and background.
(a)(iii) A breakdown of the unemployed who were dismissed or laid off by length of service is not available. This is because respondents to Government's household survey usually have difficulty recalling the number of years he/she has worked in the same industry. As such, collecting the required information will impose an undue additional burden on respondents. The accuracy of the data collected may also be doubtful. For these reasons, the Government has no plan to collect such data.
(a)(iv) In tackling the unemployment problem, the Government's objective is to help all unemployed workers including those who were dismissed or laid off to re-enter the labour market mainly through the provision of employment services and appropriate training in the skills required of the labour market.
Since April 1995, the Labour Department has been providing unemployed persons with personalised employment service through the Job Matching Programme (JMP). Unemployed job-seekers joining this programme are provided with in-depth counselling, guidance and active job-matching service. Where appropriate, the Department will also refer unemployed job-seekers to tailor-made retraining programmes provided by the ERB. Since its inception in April 1995 to 31 March 1997, the JMP has registered 15,048 unemployed job-seekers and secured 11,427 job offers for them, representing a success rate of over 70%.
The ERB provides suitable retraining courses for unemployed and displaced workers so as to facilitate them to re-enter the job market. Many training bodies also provide placement service for those trainees who wish to seek employment upon completion of training. Since its inception in late 1992, ERB has provided a total of 174,553 retraining places for over 90,000 persons through its 58 training bodies at 133 training centres. The ERB estimates that around 70% of those who completed full-time retraining programmes could subsequently obtain employment.