XN000022-1991-10-14 — Page 4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1991

3

STI VISITS CHINA

* * *

THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR T.H. CHAU, LEFT TODAY (MONDAY) FOR A FAMILIARISATION VISIT TO CHINA AT THE INVITATION OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

THE WEEK-LONG VISIT COVERS SHENZHEN, CANTON AND FUZHOU.

DURING THE VISIT, MR CHAU WILL MEET CHINESE PROVINCIAL MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS DEALING WITH ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE ISSUES.

AND

HE WILL ALSO VISIT YANTIAN PORT AND HUANGTIAN AIRPORT ÅT SHENZHEN, THE ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ZONE AT CANTON, AND THE ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ZONE AT FUZHOU.

MR CHAU WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG ON SATURDAY (OCTOBER 19).

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS FOR JUNE AUGUST 1991

—

FOR

JUNE

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

AUGUST 1991 WAS 2.2%, AND THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.5%, ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

FOR

THE

PERIOD

JULY

-

SEPTEMBER 1991, THE PROVISIONAL SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 2.0%, WHILE THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.5%.

UNEMPLOYMENT

AND

IN THE TRENDING

UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE HAD STABILISED IN RECENT MONTHS, IF NOT

THUS,

THE EARLIER RISE

IN THE

DOWNWARD SLIGHTLY.

THE SEASONALLY

AUGUST

ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR JUNE 1991 WAS 2.2%, COMPARED WITH 2.4% FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDING MAY 1991 AND 1.8% FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER.

PRECEDING

THE DECREASE OF 0.2 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT BELOW THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD IS STATISTICALLY NOT SIGNIFICANT WHILE THE INCREASE A. YEAR OF 0.4

PERIOD OF A PERCENTAGE POINT OVER THE CORRESPONDING EARLIER IS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN JUNE AUGUST 1991 WAS ESTIMATED AT 62,400, COMPARED WITH 67,500 IN THE THREE YEAR MONTHS ENDING MAY 1991 AND 48,600 IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A

EARLIER.

RATE

FOR JUNE

-

AUGUST 1991

1.5%,

THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT

WAS COMPARED WITH 1.9% FOR MARCH - MAY 1991 AND 0.9% FOR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD A YEAR EARLIER.

/THE DECREASE