XN000022-1982-04-18 — Page 2

SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 1982

STATISTICS ON THE LABOUR FORCE IN SEPTEMBER 1981

*****

THE DESEASONALISED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR SEPTEMBER 1981 WAS 3.6 PER CENT WHICH COMPARES WITH 4.1 PER CENT ESTIMATED IN MARCH 1981, BOTH FIGURES USING THE DEFINITIONS OF THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT REPORTS.

THE DECREASE OF 0.5 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BETWEEN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER 1981 WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

IN COMMENTING UPON THESE FIGURES, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS SAID THAT THERE WAS USUALLY A SUBSTANTIALL HIGHER PROPORTION OF FIRST-TIME JOB-SEEKERS (PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST LEFT SCHOOL) IN AUGUST TO OCTOBER THAN IN ANY OTHER PERIOD. THE DESEASONALISED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, WHICH HAS BEEN ADJUSTED FOR THIS SEASONAL INFLUENCE. IS THEREFORE USED IN MAKING COMPARISON WITH THE MARCH 1981 RATE.

+

THE UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURE FOR SEPTEMBER 1981 WAS OBTAINED FROM A SAMPLE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT IN THE PERIOD AUGUST TO OCTOBER 1981.

ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT USED IN THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, THERE WERE 93 800 UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN HONG KONG IN SEPTEMBER 1981, REPRESENTING 3.7 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL LABOUR FORCE. AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR SEASONAL INFLUENCE, THE DESEASONALISED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BECOMES 3.5 PER CENT.

THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS DREW ATTENTION TO THE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS USED IN THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY COMPARED WITH THOSE USED IN THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY.

IN THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, PERSONS AGED 15 AND OVER WHO WERE NOT IN EMPLOYMENT BUT WERE AVAILABLE FOR WORK AND WERE SEEKING WORK IN THE SEVEN DAYS BEFORE ENUMERATION WERE CLASSIFIED AS UNEMPLOYED. THOSE CLASSIFIED AS +UNEMPLOYED+ ALSO INCLUDED PEOPLE WHO WERE WAITING TO TAKE UP A NEW JOB: OR WHO HAD TEMPORARILY BEEN LAID OFF WORK WITHOUT PAY; OR WHO WERE AVAILABLE FOR WORK, BUT WERE NOT ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR WORK BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS NONE TO BE HAD OR BECAUSE THEY WERE TEMPORARILY SICK.

COPIES OF THE REPORT ON THE AUGUST TO OCTOBER 1981 GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ARE ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING. SIMILAR INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT WILL BE PUBLISHED AT REGULAR THREE-MONTHLY INTERVALS.