Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate (3.8%) and the underemployment rate (1.8%) for February-April this year held stable from the previous period (January-March), but up by 0.9 and 0.2 percentage point year-on-year.

Total labour force was 333,000 in February-April; the labour force participation rate was 72.6%, up by 0.2 percentage point over the previous period, but down by 0.3 percentage point year-on-year.

The employed population stayed at around 320,000, with increase in the number of persons working in the Construction and Hotel sectors, but decrease in that working in the Manufacture of Wearing Apparel.

Number of the unemployed was 13,000, of which 9.3% (1,200) were fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, down by 1.2 percentage points over the preceding period.