XN000022-1993-05-17 — Page 7

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MONDAY, MAY 17, 1993

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IT

MY OWN BELIEF IS, THE NEARER WE GET TO 1997 THE MORE LIKELY

ECONOMIC IS THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS WILL UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT OF OUR

BE AND I MUST SUCCESS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE THEIR OWN ECONOMIC SUCCESS

LET' ME WILL START TO CREATE A CONTEXT AS WELL. CAREFUL WHAT I SAY

OBSERVATION PUT THAT PERHAPS OVER-SIMPLY AND SAY THAT THIS IS NOT AN ABOUT CHINA IN PARTICULAR, IT'S AN OBSERVATION ABOUT EVERYWHERE. ECONOMIC GROWTH INCREASES IN PERSONAL AFFLUENCE IN NET DISPOSABLE

EDUCATION, INCREASES INCOME.

IN TRAVEL, IMPROVEMENTS IN

KIDS

MORE BEING EDUCATED IN OTHER COUNTRIES, CELLULAR TELEPHONES, SATELLITE TV'S

TO ALL

SHAPE ALI. START PRODUCE EFFECTS WHICH AREN'T JUST ECONOMIC, SOCIETY MUCH MORE THAN POLITICIANS DO, MUCH MORE THAN POLITICAL STATEMENTS DO.

SO HOPE THAT THE VALUES THAT HONG KONG REPRESENTS 1997 WILL. BE REGARDED WITH GREATER UNDERSTANDING NEARER TO AND AFTER AND I ALSO HOPE THAT AND I DON'T JUST SPEAK FOR THE IMMEDIATE REGION NEXT BUT I ALSO HOPE THAT MORE PLACES BECOME LIKE HONG KONG AS THE CENTURY UNFOLDS.

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I HOPE I HAVE STATED THOSE ARGUMENTS JUDICIOUSLY AND CAREFULLY. I HAVE

THAT, AM TO PICK MY WAY BETWEEN MINEFIELDS BUT T

CONFIDENT

IN OUR PROVIDED IN HONG KONG WE HAVE THE SELF-CONFIDENCE TO BELIEVE

SUCCESSFUL AND OWN SYSTEM, OUR SYSTEM WILL SURVIVE AND PROSPER IN A PROSPERING CHINA IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT FIGURES

FOR JANUARY MARCH

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MARCH

THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR JANUARY 1993 WAS 2.3%, AND THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.6%, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST LABOUR FORCE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE

THE PROVISIONAL SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR

APRIL 1993 WAS 2.4%. WHILE THE PROVISIONAL UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 1.8%.

PERIOD FEBRUARY

THE SLIGHT EDGING UP OF BOTH THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT RATES IN THE THREE MONTHS FEBRUARY TO APRIL IS LIKELY ΤΟ BE TEMPORARY, AS THE ECONOMY IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN A STRADY GROWTH THEREBY SUSTAINING THE OVERALL DEMAND FOR MANPOWER.

OVERALL, THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN MOST RECENT MONTHS CAN STILL BE REGARDED AS LARGELY STABLE.

DURING THE PERIOD JANUARY

MARCH 1993, THE UNEMPLOYED PERSONS, ADJUSTED FOR VARIATIONS IN THE NUMBER TIME JOB-SEEKERS, WAS ESTIMATED AT 66,600, WHILE THE UNDEREMPLOYED PERSONS WAS ESTIMATED AT 46.100.

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THE

NUMBER OF

OF FIRST- NUMBER OF

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

/THE SURVEY