XN000022-1984-11-14 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1984

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SECRETARIAT TO BE RECAST

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THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT WILL HAVE TO BE RECAST IN RESPONSE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS WHILE OFFICIATING AT THE SPEECH DAY OF ST. STEPHEN'S COLLEGE IN STANLEY, SIR PHILIP SAID THE RECASTING OF SCHEDULES AMONG CERTAIN SECRETARIES AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE AFFECTED DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE ANNOUNCED IN ONE EXERCISE TOWARDS THE END OF DECEMBER OR THEREABOUTS.

+THIS WILL TAKE EFFECT PROGRESSIVELY IN THE EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR,+ HE SAID.

+WE WILL NOT BE CREATING ANY NEW POSTS, BUT SOME POSTS MAY BE RETITLED IN RESPONSE TO THE IR CHANGING SCHEDULES, HE ADDED.

UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION STABLE ******

THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT SITUATION REMAINED LARGELY STABLE IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR JULY-SEPTEMBER 1984 WAS 3.5 PER CENT, WHICH WAS THE SAME AS THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER APRIL-JUNE 1984. THE RATE FOR JULY-SEPTEMBER 1983 WAS 3.8 PER CENT.

THE DECREASE OF 0.3 PERCENTAGE POINT OVER THE YEAR WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS

SAID.

THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN THE QUARTER ENDING SEPTEMBER 1984 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 92 400, AS COMPARED WITH 91 900 FOR THE QUARTER ENDING JUNE 1984 AND 98 100 FOR THE SAME QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.

THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE FOR JULY-SEPTEMBER 1984 WAS 1.0 PER

THE CENT, WHICH WAS ALSO THE SAME AS THAT FOR APRIL-JUNE 1984. RATE FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1983 WAS 1.6 PER CENT.

THE ESTIMATED