New low: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.4% in the September-November period.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.4% in the September-November period, down from 4.5% in August-October. The figure was the lowest since 2001, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Falls in the jobless rate were mainly seen in the wholesale and retail trades, manufacturing and restaurants sectors.

The underemployment rate rose from 2.4% to 2.5%. Rises were mainly found in the manufacturing, education services, and decoration and maintenance sectors.

Total employment rose by 12,900 workers to an all-time high of 3,514,300, while the labour force grew from 3,670,300 to 3,675,900.

Jobless numbers down

The number of jobless people fell from 168,900 to a 64-month low of 161,700 while the number of underemployed people rose from 89,500 to 90,800.

The department said the unemployment situation continued to improve on the back of robust economic performance.

The labour market has remained buoyant. In the first 11 months, the Labour Department netted 449,929 vacancies from the private sector, up 13.4% over the same period last year. The department achieved 110,276 job placements from January to November, up 6.1% over the same period last year.

The near-term outlook will mainly hinge on overall business conditions, and in particular job creation in the corporate sector, during the Christmas-New Year period.