XN000022-1985-03-15 — Page 9

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, "GA

THE COMMISSIONER ADDED THAT BASED ON A SYSTEM OF MANUAL EXTRACTION OF INFORMATION FROM SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES FOR THE LATEST MONTH, PROVISIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATES COVERING THE LATEST MOVING THREE-MONTH PERIOD COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SURVEY. THE PROVISIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED) FOR DECEMBER 1984 FEBRUARY 1985 WAS 3.0 PER CENT, AND THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYME? RATE WAS 1.3 PER CENT. THE UNADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR NOVEMBER 1984 - JANUARY 1985 WAS 3.4 PER CENT.

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THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS WERE OBTAINE FROM A CONTINUOUS GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT. THIS SURVEY COVERS A QUARTERLY SAMPLE OF SOME 14 000 HOUSEHOLDS OR 53 000 PERSONS, SELECTED SCIENTIFICALLY TO REPRESENT THE LAND-BASED CIVILIAN NON-INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION IN HONG KONG. PERSONAL AND LABOUR FORCE DATA WERE OBTAINED IN THE SURVEY BY INTERVIEWING EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER AGED 15 AND ABOVE IN THE HOUSEHOLDS SAMPLED.

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE LABOUR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS IS GIVEN IN THE REPORT ON THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY WHICH IS PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES A YEAR. THE NEXT REPORT COVERING THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 1984 SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE LATER THIS MONTH.

MORE MEMBERS FOR BOARD

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THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD WILL INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE USERS AND COMPETITIVE SUPPLIERS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT, AND HK MANUFACTURERS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT TODAY THAT THE ENLARGED MEMBERSHIP WOULD ENSURE THAT THE INTEREST OF THESE GROUPS WHOSE ACTIVITIES HAVE GREATLY EXPANDED IN RECENT YEARS, WOULD BE REPRESENTED ON THE BOARD.

AT PRESENT THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD, CHAIRED BY THE POSTMASTER GENERAL, HAS SIX EX OFFICIO MEMBERS: THE MANAGING DIRECTORS OF CABLE AND WIRELESS (HONG KONG) LIMITED AND THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY LIMITED, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL, THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT SIGNALS BOARD AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRITISH FORCES.

THERE WILL