Help wanted: The seasonally adjusted jobless rate stood at 4.4% in the October-December period, the Census & Statistics Department says.

Employment rose to a record high of 3.52 million in the October-December period, while the seasonally adjusted jobless rate stood at 4.4%, the Census & Statistics Department says. The underemployment rate fell from 2.5% to 2.4%.

Falls in the jobless rate were mainly seen in the restaurant, insurance and communications sectors, while increases were found in the amusement and recreational services, sanitary services and real estate sectors.

For the underemployment rate, drops were mainly found in the decoration and maintenance, and amusement and recreational services sectors.

Labour force grows

Total employment rose by 9,100 to an all-time high of 3,523,500 while the labour force grew from 3,676,000 to a new high of 3,680,600.

The number of jobless fell from 161,600 to a 66-month low of 157,100, while the number of underemployed dropped by 1,000 to 89,800.

The jobless rate averaged at 4.8% last year, down from 5.6% in 2005. This was due to faster growth in total employment than in the total labour force.

Future outlook

The department said it was the usual practice for employers to review and adjust, if necessary, their staffing situation shortly after the Lunar New Year holidays. The near-term employment outlook will depend on the outcome of such reviews.

The Labour Department netted 479,942 vacancies from the private sector last year, up 12.7% over 2005. It achieved 118,937 placements, up 5.2% over 2005.