XN000022-1992-10-15 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1992

THE LATEST FIGURES SUGGEST THAT THE LABOUR MARKET HAS CONTINUED TIGHTEN IN RECENT MONTHS, AS BOTH THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE EDGED LOWER.

TO

DURING THE PERIOD JUNE AUGUST 1992, THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, ADJUSTED FOR VARIATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF FIRST-TIME JOB- SEEKERS, WAS ESTIMATED AT 54,600, WHILE THE NUMBER

OF UNDEREMPLOYED PERSONS WAS ESTIMATED AT 56,800.

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

THE SURVEY FOR JUNE

+

AUGUST 1992 COVERED A QUARTERLY SAMPLE OF SOME 11,800 HOUSEHOLDS OR 41,100 PERSONS, SELECTED SCIENTIFICALLY TO REPRESENT THE LAND-BASED CIVILIAN NON-INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION IN HONG KONG.

RELEVANT 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 INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION.

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF LABOUR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS IS GIVEN IN REPORT ON THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY WHICH IS PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES A YEAR.

THE

THE NEXT REPORT COVERING THE QUARTER ENDING SEPTEMBER 1992 WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, AROUND DECEMBER 21 AT $15.50 PER COPY.

CENTRAL

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SALE AND PURCHASE AGREEMENTS OF FLATS IN SEPTEMBER

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SALE AND PURCHASE AGREEMENTS OF FLATS REGISTERED IN THE LAND OFFICE IN SEPTEMBER DECREASED BY 6.8% COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS MONTH AND BY 25.6% COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.

IN ALL, 11,745 SUCH AGREEMENTS WERE REGISTERED DURING THE MONTH. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED WAS ABOUT $30.86 BILLION.

THESE FIGURES WERE INCLUDED IN THE MONTHLY STATISTICS ON PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS REGISTERED IN THE URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES LAND REGISTRIES RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL.

THERE WERE SIX BUILDING MORTGAGES AND REGISTERED IN THE MONTH, COMPARED TO 10 AND SEPTEMBER, 1991.

14.946 OTHER MORTGAGES 19,189

RESPECTIVELY IN

/THE TOTAL