XN000022-1996-12-18 — Page 48

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Unemployment statistics

Following is a question by the Hon Cheng Yiu-tong and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Regarding the statistics on unemployment, will the Government inform this Council of the following in each of the past five years:

Reply:

(a)

the median duration of unemployment;

(b)

(c)

(a)

the respective quarterly proportions of the unemployed in the following industries, who were unemployed due to dismissal or lay-off or who left employment because of dissatisfaction with their jobs, to the total number of unemployed persons:

(

(ii)

manufacturing,

wholesale, retail, import and export trade,

(iii) catering,

(iv) hotels; and

the quarterly proportion of unemployed persons believed to have no chance of finding employment to the total number of unemployed persons?

Statistics on the median duration of unemployment for each of the past five years from 1991 to 1995 and for the third quarter of 1996 are given below:

Median duration of unemployment(days)

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

*888*

54

60

66

70

77

1996 Q3

66