Average household income in first quarter rose 7% to $16,500 from a year earlier with 2.29 million families recorded, marking a 1% year-on-year increase, the Census & Statistics Department says.

According to the Quarterly Report on General Household Survey for January - March 2006 released today, the first quarter saw a 14% fall in unemployed people to 180,500, as compared with the same period last year, while people with jobs rose 2% to 3.42 million.

The report also contains Q1 figures on the labour force, employment, unemployment and underemployment, and detailed analyses of the characteristics of different categories of the labour force.

To buy the report visit the Statistical Bookstore or Government Bookstore. For more information contact the Census & Statistics Department's General Household Survey Section on 2887 5508 or via email.