XN000022-1984-06-14 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 1984

THERE IS GOOD NEWS TOO OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EXTENT TO WHICH ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN FUTURE LOCAL PLANNING EXERCISES.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE +HONG KONG PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES+, IS TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE CHAPTER ON +THE ENVIRONMENT. THE FIRST TWO SECTIONS, ON AIR AND WATER QUALITY, HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THE REMAINDER ARE EXPECTED TO BE FINALISED IN THE COMING YEAR.

COPIES OF THE REPORT CAN BE PURCHASED FROM HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BOOKSHOPS.

UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION STABLE *****

THE UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION FOR THE THREE MONTHS TO APRIL 1984 REMAINED LARGELY STABLE WHILE THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT SITUATION IMPROVED SLIGHTLY. ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE PERIOD WAS 4.1 PER CENT, EFFECTIVELY THE SAME AS THE FOUR PER CENT RECORDED FOR THE QUARTER TO MARCH 1984.

WHEN COMPARED WITH THE RATE OF 3.7 PER CENT FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER (NOVEMBER 1983 JANUARY 1984) AND 5.2 PER CENT FOR THE SAME QUARTER OF 1983, THE INCREASE OF 0.4 PER CENT WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WHILE THE DECREASE OF 1.1 PER CENT OVER THE YEAR WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN THE QUARTER TO APRIL WAS ESTIMATED AT 103 800, COMPARED WITH 95 200 FOR THE QUARTER TO JANUARY 1984, AND TO 128 900 FOR THE SAME QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.

THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE FOR FEBRUARY APRIL 1984 WAS ESTIMATED AT 1.2 PER CENT AND THAT FOR NOVEMBER 1983 - JANUARY 1984 AT 1.5 PER CENT, THE DIFFERENCE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE RATE FOR FEBRUARY- APRIL 1983 WAS 2.4 PER CENT.

THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF UNDEREMPLOYED PERSONS WAS 31 200 FOR THE QUARTER TO APRIL, COMPARED WITH 38 700 FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

CONSISTENT WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL "LABOUR ORGANISATION, PERSONS WHO WORKED LESS THAN 35 HOURS A

WEEK WERE REGARDED AS UNDEREMPLOYED ONLY IF THEY WERE SEEKING MORE WORK OR WERE NOT SEEKING MORE WORK BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED MORE WORK WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

/COMMENTING ON

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