XN000022-1982-06-17 — Page 5

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1982

UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINE SHOWN IN SURVEY

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THE DESEASONALISED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR DECEMBER 1981 WAS 3.1 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH 4.1 PER CENT ESTIMATED FOR MARCH 1981 AND 3.6 PER CENT ESTIMATED FOR SEPTEMBER 1981, ALL THREE FIGURES USING THE DEFINITIONS OF THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY.

THE DECREASE OF 1.0 PERCENTAGE POINT IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BETWEEN MARCH AND DECEMBER 1981 AND THE DECREASE OF 0.5 PERCENTAGE POINT IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER 1981 WERE BOTH STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

IN COMMENTING UPON THESE FIGURES, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS SAID THAT THE PROPORTION OF FIRST-TIME JOB-SEEKERS (SCHOOL LEAVERS) VARIED FROM MONTH TO MONTH. THE DESEASONAL ISED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, WHICH HAD BEEN ADJUSTED FOR THIS SEASONAL INFLUENCE, WAS THEREFORE USED IN MAKING COMPARISON WITH THE MARCH AND SEPTEMBER 1981 RATES.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURE FOR DECEMBER 1981 WAS OBTAINED FROM A SAMPLE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT IN THE PERIOD NOVEMBER 1981 TO JANUARY 1982.

ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT USED IN THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, THERE WERE 73 800 UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN HONG KONG IN DECEMBER 1981, REPRESENTING 3 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL LABOUR FORCE. THE RATE WAS UNCHANGED AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR SEASONAL INFLUENCES.

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 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 WITHOUT PAY OR WHO WERE AVAILABLE FOR WORK, BUT WERE NOT ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR WORK BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS NONE AVAILABLE OR BECAUSE THEY WERE TEMPORARILY SICK.

THE REPORT ON THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY FOR NOVEMBER 1981 TO JANUARY 1982 IS ON SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING.