XN000022-1989-03-16 — Page 9

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THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1989

THE COMMISSIONER ADDED THAT, BASED ON A SYSTEM OF PROVISIONAL COUNTS, THE 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 SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR DECEMBER 1988

FEBRUARY 1989 WAS 1.2 PER CENT AND THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 0.6 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 51,000 PERSONS SELECTED SCIENTIFICALLY ΤΟ 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.

1988

THE NEXT REPORT COVERING THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GPO BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL AROUND MARCH 20 AT $10 PER COPY.

QE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES ALLOCATION OF GRANTS

*

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH FOUNDATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED HAS DECIDED TO MAKE GRANTS OF ABOUT $3.8 MILLION то NINE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND TWO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN HONG KONG.

THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY DR HENRIETTA IP, CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH FOUNDATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, AT A ' PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (

(THURSDAY).

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH FOUNDATION FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WAS ESTABLISHED IN JULY 1988 WITH THE PURPOSE OF FURTHERING THE WELFARE, EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED IN HONG KONG AND PROMOTING THEIR EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS.

/THE SOURCES