More jobs: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to a 62-month low of 4.7% in the July-September period.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to a 62-month low of 4.7% in the July-September period, down from 4.8% in June-August, the Census & Statistics Department says. The underemployment rate also fell from 2.4% to 2.3% in the same period.

Decreases in the unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, were mainly observed in the sanitary services, construction and manufacturing sectors. For the underemployment rate, falls were primarily found in the foundation and superstructure construction, communications and restaurants sectors.

Total employment rose by around 23,100, from 3,473,800 in June-August to an all-time high of 3,496,900 in July-September. Over the same period, the labour force grew by around 14,600, from 3,662,700 to a new high of 3,677,300.

The number of jobless people fell by 8,500, from 188,900 in June-August to 180,400 in July-September, while the number of underemployed fell by 2,600 to 86,200.

Broad-based improvement

The Census & Statistic Department said the labour market showed a broad-based improvement in July-September, as employers generally increased their staffing levels amid the sustained economic revival.

Total employment expanded strongly to another record high of nearly 3.5 million. By comparison, the total labour force had a smaller increase, as its growth was partly retarded by the return of some summer-time workers to schools upon the start of the new academic year. As a result, the number of jobless people fell to just above the 180,000 mark.

Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down further to a 62-month low of 4.7%. The near-term outlook will hinge on the continued pick-up in overall economic activity giving rise to additional jobs for the workforce.

In the first nine months of this year, the Labour Department achieved 90,278 job placements, up 9.9% over the same period last year.

Job centres open

As part of its efforts to strengthen its employment service in northwestern New Territories, the Labour Department recently opened two Job Centres in Yuen Long and Sheung Shui.

They started operation in late September and provide job-seekers with one-stop job-hunting services.