XN000022-1987-01-14 — Page 49

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987

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 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1986 WAS 2.2 PER CENT AND THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.2 PER CENT. (THE UNADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 1986 WAS 2.5 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 14 000 HOUSEHOLDS OR 50 000 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 HOSEHOLD SURVEY WHICH IS PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES A YEAR. THE NEXT REPORT COVERING THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 1986 SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AROUND MARCH 20, 1987.

MORE SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY PLANNED

*****

THERE ARE NOW 104 SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO OPEN 30 MORE IN 1987-88, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ANSON CHAN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE CHUNG SING BENEVOLENT SOCIETY GAN LOW KHOON CHOO SOCIAL CENTRE FOR THE ELDERLY, SHE SAID IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE NUMBER OF OLD PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD INCREASE FROM THE PRESENT 600 000 TO OVER 800 000 WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE.

+TO COPE WITH THE CHANGES AND THE NEEDS OF SOCIETY, BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO EXPAND SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, SHE SAID.

/+GOVERNMENT'S