XN000022-1991-09-16 — Page 7

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1991

-

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS FOR MAY JULY 1991

RATE

THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINED STABLE WHILE THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT DECREASED DURING THE PERIOD MAY JULY 1991, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

—

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR MAY JULY 1991 WAS 2.3%, COMPARED WITH 2.1% FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDING APRIL 1991 AND 1.7% FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER.

THE INCREASE OF 0.2 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT OVER THE PRECEDING THREE-MONTH PERIOD IS STATISTICALLY NOT SIGNIFICANT WHILE THE INCREASE OF 0.6 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER IS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN MAY JULY 1991 WAS ESTIMATED AT 65,900, COMPARED WITH 59,000 IN THE THREE MONTHS ENDING APRIL 1991 AND 46,700 IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER.

THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE FOR MAY - JULY 1991 WAS 1.5%, COMPARED WITH 2.1% FOR FEBRUARY

THE APRIL 1991 AND 1.0% FOR

CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER.

—

THE DECREASE OF 0.6 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT BELOW THE PRECEDING THREE-MONTH PERIOD AND THE INCREASE OF 0.5 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT OVER THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER ARE BOTH STATISTICALLY

SIGNIFICANT.

-

JULY

THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF UNDEREMPLOYED PERSONS IN MAY 1991 WAS 41,200, COMPARED WITH 57,700 IN THE THREE MONTHS ENDING APRIL 1991 AND 26,800 IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER.

CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO), PERSONS WHO WORKED LESS THAN 35 HOURS A WEEK DUE TO ECONOMIC REASONS (SUCH AS SLACK WORK, MATERIAL SHORTAGE, MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN AND INABILITY TO FIND FULL-TIMB WORK) WERE REGARDED AS UNDEREMPLOYED ONLY IF THEY WERE EITHER SEEKING OR AVAILABLE FOR MORE WORK.

AS THE PROPORTION OF FIRST-TIME JOB-SEEKERS (E.G. PEOPLE WHO RATES HAVE JUST LEFT SCHOOL) VARIES FROM MONTH TO MONTH, UNEMPLOYMENT THAT HAD BEEN SEASONALLY ADJUSTED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE VARIATIONS IN

NUMBER THE

OF FIRST-TIME JOB-SEEKERS SHOULD BE USED IN MAKING COMPARISONS OVER TIME.

THE PROVISIONAL SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR JUNE - AUGUST 1991 WAS 2.2% AND THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.5%.

THE

OBTAINED

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS WERE FROM A CONTINUOUS GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

/THE SURVEY