Help wanted: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at a 54-month low of 5.2%.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5.2% in the December-February period, unchanged from the November-January period. The underemployment rate dipped 0.1% to 2.3%.

Total employment fell 13,000, to 3.411 million, in step with a fall in the labour force of about 11,400, from 3.598 million to 3.587 million.

The number of jobless rose 1,600, to 176,000, while the number of underemployed fell by 3,700, to 82,000.

A drop in unemployment was seen in the restaurants, medical services, wholesale trade and transport sectors, while increases were seen in the construction and sanitary-services sectors. Underemployment rate falls were mainly seen in the decoration and maintenance, transport and miscellaneous personal-services sectors.

The Census & Statistics Department said total employment fell in the December-February period as a result of slackened business activity and labour demand in some economic sectors -particularly building and construction - after the Lunar New Year holidays. 

Since this was largely offset by a similar drop in the labour supply, the number of jobless went up only modestly while the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at a 54-month low of 5.2%. 

The department said the near-term outlook would depend on the overall economic performance and growth in labour demand, relative to that in the labour supply.

The labour market remained active. In February, the Labour Department netted 43,173 private-sector vacancies, up 79.1% over the same month last year. On average, close to 2,000 vacancies were received on each working day.