XN000022-1997-04-23 — Page 44

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On the other hand, a person aged 15 or over will be classified as unemployed if the person concerned fulfils the following three criteria simultaneously:

(1) has not had a job and has not performed any work for pay or

profit during the 7 days before enumeration; and

(2)

(3)

has been available for work during the 7 days before enumeration; and

has sought work [i.e. must have taken active steps to seek work and not just passively "wishing (or willing) to take up a job"] during the 30 days before enumeration.

Notwithstanding the above, a person aged 15 or over without a job, has been available for work but has not sought work because he/she believed that work was not available is also classified as unemployed. In this case, the person is regarded as a discouraged worker.

Persons not meeting the criteria for classification as employed or unemployed are classified as economically inactive.

Given the above definitions, economically inactive persons are not to be confused with unemployed persons. It is reckoned that there could be certain people amongst the economically inactive population who might consider entering the labour force if jobs of relatively favourable terms to themselves (e.g. high pay, flexible working hours and proximity of workplace to home) were offered. But these requirements are, more often than not, not based on locally prevailing terms and hence cannot be met in the labour market. According to the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), these economically inactive persons whose willingness to work is conditional upon the offer of specific terms and conditions of employment are still within the economically inactive population. As such, they should not be classified as part of the labour force, nor should they be classified as unemployed. This treatment is in line with the international standard and is likewise adopted by other statistically advanced countries.