XN000022-1983-03-30 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1983

THE EFFECT OF THIS DIFFERENCE ON THE ESTIMATE OF THE DEPLOYMENT RATE, HOWEVER, WAS VERY SMALL, HE SAID.

U'SING THE DEFINITIONS ADOPTED IN THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE QUARTER

DING JANUARY 1983 WAS 4.4 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 4.3 PER CENT EASED ON THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY DEFINITIONS.

HE SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF WORK INVOLVED IN PROCESSING THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES, IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO PRODUCE DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE LABOUR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS.

THE DETAILED REPORT OF THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY WILL BE PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES A YEAR. THE LAST REPORT FOR THE QUARTER AUGUST – OCTOBER 1982 MAY BE PURCHASED FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING.

THE REPORT COVERING THE QUARTER ENDING JANUARY 1983 SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AROUND APRIL 20, 1983.

THE COMMISSIONER ADDED THAT, BASED ON A SIMPLER METHOD OF ESTIMATION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT FIGURES COVERING A MOVING THREE-MONTH PERIOD COULD BE PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH.

AFTER TESTING THIS METHOD ON DATA FOR THE PAST 17 MONTHS, HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE FIGURES WERE SUFFICIENTLY RELIABLE FOR PUBLICATION AND SO THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MORE FREQUENT AND EARLIER INFORMATION FROM NOW ON.

SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS TO EXCEED $1 000 MILLION

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THE ESTIMATED TOTAL PROVISION FOR SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO ABOUT $1 070 MILLION THIS YEAR, THE CHIEF SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, MRS DIANA LEE, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) MORNING.

SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, MRS LEE SAID THE BULK OF THE EXPENDITURE WILL BE ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEMES.+

+ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE ARE ALREADY BENEFITING FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME WHO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE HAVE NOT YET COME FORWARD TO APPLY, SHE SAID.

SHE HOPED THAT THROUGH THIS SEMINAR, MORE PEOPLE WOULD GET TO KNOW ABOUT THESE SCHEMES.

MRS LEE SAID THAT THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE WAS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN HONG KONG LIVE ABOVE A CERTAIN LEVEL.

THERE IS A ONE-YEAR RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE APPLICANTS, MRS LEE SAID, BUT THIS CAN BE WAIVED FOR HARDSHIP CASES.

FOR 130PL.