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| Help wanted: The latest jobless rate fell to 4.2%, the lowest level since mid-1998, while the underemployment rate held stable at 2.2% |
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The April-June jobless rate fell to 4.2%, the lowest level since mid-1998, while the underemployment rate held stable at 2.2%, the Census & Statistics Department says.
Falls in the jobless rate were mainly observed in construction, amusement and recreational services, and in retail trade. Falls in the underemployment rate were mainly seen in the insurance and transport sectors, offsetting increases in the foundation and superstructure construction, manufacturing, and amusement and recreational services sectors.
Total employment rose by about 11,700, from 3,475,100 in March-May, to an all-time high of 3,486,800 in April-June. Over the same period, the labour force increased by around 12,000, from 3,630,600 to a new high of 3,642,600.
There were about 300 more jobless people, as their numbers rose from 155,500 in March-May to 155,800 in April-June. The number of underemployed people rose by around 1,600 - from 79,600 to 81,200.
The labour supply expanded to another new high in April-June, upon the entry of fresh graduates and school leavers into the labour market, the department said. They will continue to affect the labour force and unemployment figures in the next few months.
The Labour Department received 41,723 vacancies from the private sector in June, up 5.7% over the same period last year. In the first half of this year, the department netted 249,381 private-sector vacancies, an increase of 4.1% over the same period last year. On average, the department received more than 2,000 vacancies each working day.
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