XN000022-1995-11-24 — Page 7

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Rentals also softened as more landlords put out their flats for lease.

The unemployment rate remained relatively high, at 3.5% in the third quarter (3.6% in the three months ending October).

The growth rate of labour supply continued to outstrip that of total employment.

With a greater abundance in the supply of labour resources, employers should have less difficulty in recruitment than before.

intense.

But concurrently competition for jobs amongst employees has become more

The co-existence of still a considerable number of vacancies along with the increased unemployment reflects a degree of on-going job mismatch in the labour market.

With the casing in both imported inflation and locally- generated inflationary pressures, consumer price inflation in terms of the Consumer Price Index (A) moderated from 9.5% in the first quarter to 9.2% in the second quarter and 8.6% in the third quarter (8.4% in October).

The external sector

In the third quarter, total exports had a generally robust growth of about 12% in real terms over a year earlier. This was only slightly slower than the 13% growth in the second quarter.

Within total exports, re-exports rose by about 15% in real terms, but domestic exports moderated to an increase of about 1%, after a sharp pick-up in the early part of this year.

quarter.

Re-exports to China and the United States showed less rapid growth in the third

But re-exports to the other major markets, such as Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and Taiwan, all showed accelerated growth.