XN000022-1995-08-10 — Page 2

}

- 1.

Transcript of the acting Governor's media session

The following is a transcript of the acting Governor, Mrs Anson Chan's media session after visiting the Labour Department today (Thursday):

Acting Governor: This afternoon I have an opportunity to see various services that the Labour Department provide, in particular, to see the services that were getting to employers and employees in terms of enabling employers to find workers for vacancies and to enable employees to find work that suit their particular skills and aptitude. As you know, our approach is three-pronged. First of all we hope to step up enforcement action against abusers of the labour importation scheme and illegal employment of illegal workers. Secondly, we are stepping up job-matching because there is a particular problem in terms of job-mismatch. since April this year, we have established a job matching service and I am very glad to note that since the service was established, 2,000 workers have registered. The success rate in terms of placement, including those who have been offered jobs but have declined jobs, are about 44 per cent. So, it's a very encouraging start and we obviously hope to continue to make good progress on this front. At the same time we are also stepping up re-training of workers so that we put displaced workers or those who are currently out of jobs, equip them with new skills so that they can find jobs more easily.

Question: With all these measures being carried out, do you expect the unemployment rate can be reduced in the near future?

Acting Governor: We certainly hope that these efforts will produce some results. I know and I understand that there is a general concern about the increase in the unemployment rate. But as the Financial Secretary pointed out yesterday, I think we need to view this in perspective. There is no doubt that there is an increase in the unemployment rate. But at the same time there is also an increase in job vacancies. we have currently some 60,000 job vacancies. The Labour Department and other Government departments and branches will do their utmost to help workers find work. But also to help employers find suitable workers.

End/Thursday, August 10, 1995