XN000022-1992-04-14 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1992

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

FOR DECEMBER 1991

-

FEBRUARY 1992

LAST

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR DECEMBER YEAR TO FEBRUARY THIS YEAR WAS 2.1%, AND THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 2.0%,

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE PROVISIONAL SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY TO MARCH 1992 WAS 2.3%, WHILE THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 2.2%.

COMPARING THE THREE MONTHS ENDING FEBRUARY 1992 WITH THE PRECEDING THREE MONTHS ENDING NOVEMBER 1991, THE INCREASE OF 0.2 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS STATISTICALLY NOT SIGNIFICANT, WHILE THE INCREASE OF 0.4 OF A PERCENTAGE POINT IN THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE IS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

THE

WIDE

COMMENTING ON THESE INCREASES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID RECENT EMPLOYMENT SITUATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE FLUCTUATIONS THAT HAD BEEN RECORDED OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS IN HONG KONG'S TRADE PERFORMANCE, APART FROM THE USUAL INFLUENCE OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.

NEVERTHELESS, JUDGING FROM THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ECONOMY, THE SLIGHT EASING IN THE LABOUR MARKET MIGHT ONLY BE TEMPORARY.

DURING THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1991 TO FEBRUARY 1992, THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, ADJUSTED FOR VARIATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF FIRST- TIME JOB-SEEKERS (FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST LEFT SCHOOL), WAS ESTIMATED AT 57,600, WHILE THE NUMBER OF UNDEREMPLOYED PERSONS WAS ESTIMATED AT 54,700.

THE

THAN WORK,

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

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

THE SURVEY FOR DECEMBER 1991 TO FEBRUARY 1992 COVERED A QUARTERLY SAMPLE OF SOME 11,600 HOUSEHOLDS OR 40,600 PERSONS, SELECTED SCIENTIFICALLY TO REPRESENT THE LAND-BASED CIVILIAN NON-INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION IN HONG KONG.

BY

PERSONAL AND LABOUR FORCE DATA WERE OBTAINED IN THE SURVEY INTERVIEWING EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER AGED 15 AND ABOVE IN THE HOUSEHOLDS SAMPLED.

/IN THE