Wednesday, March 27, 1974
42
INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT FOR LAST QUARTER OF 1973
Highest On Record
The Secretary for Social Services, the Hon. Li Fook-kow, told
the Legislative Council today there was little evidence to support a
contention that, since the oil crisis, there had been an increasing level
of unemployment and under-employment in Hong Kong.
He was commenting on the concern over the employment situation
expressed by the Hon. Hilton Cheong-Leen during the resumed Budget debate
two weeks ago.
Although there was no system for actually registering those who
were under-employed or unemployed, Mr. Li said, there were a number of
reasonably reliable indicators of the situation.
He said: "One of these is the number of persons actually in
employment in industrial undertakings, and the returns for the quarter ending
December 1973 showed industrial employment at the highest level ever recorded.
"Another guideline is the Public Assistance statistics; these
show that the number of new Public Assistance cases has tended to decline
slightly in recent months."
Mr. Li said families of unemployed people might be helped under
the scheme while the individual was automatically referred to the Employment
Service of the Labour Department. However, there had been no increase in the
numbers referred from this or other sources such as the City District
Officers.
/He emphasised,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.