XN000022-1986-07-15 — Page 9

TUESDAY, JULY 15, 1986

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COMMENTING UPON THESE FIGURES, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS SAID THAT BECAUSE THE PROPORTION OF FIRST-TIME JOB-SEEKERS (E.G. PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST LEFT SCHOOL) VARIES FROM MONTH TO MONTH, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES THAT HAD BEEN SEASONALLY ADJUSTED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE VARIATION IN THE FIRST-TIME JOB-SEEKERS SHOULD BE USED IN MAKING COMPARISONS OVER TIME.

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 THREE-MONTH PERIOD COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SURVEY, THESE PROVIDE AN EARLY INDICATION OF THE LATEST TREND IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT SITUATION. THE PROVISIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED) FOR APRIL-JUNE 1986 WAS 3.0 PER CENT AND THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.9 PER CENT. (THE UNADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR MARCH-MAY 1986 WAS 2.9 PER CENT)

THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS WERE OBTAINED FROM A CONTINUOUS GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT. THIS SURVEY COVERS A QUARTERLY SAMPLE OF SOME 15 000 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. IN THE SURVEY, THE DEFINITIONS USED IN MEASURING UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT FOLLOW CLOSELY THOSE RECOMMENDED BY THE ILO.

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF 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 JUNE 1986 SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AROUND SEPTEMBER 20.

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SASI LEAVES FOR VANCOUVER

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THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, MR JAMES $O, LEFT FOR VANCOUVER THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING TO ATTEND THE +HONG KONG DAY+ AT EXPO '86 ON FRIDAY (JULY 18).

MR SO, WHO IS ALSO THE COMMISSIONER OF THE HONG KONG PAVILION, WILL JOIN THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, IN VANCOUVER.

ON FRIDAY EVENING, MR SO WILL ACCOMPANY THE GOVERNOR TO A HONG KONG DAY EVENING GALA PERFORMANCE BY TVB AND ATV ARTISTES.

DURING HIS EIGHT-DAY STAY IN VANCOUVER, MR SO WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING TRADE AND BUSINESS PEOPLE.

AFTER HIS VISIT, MR SO WILL GO ON LEAVE, AND RETURN TO HONG KONG AT THE END OF AUGUST.

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