The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) announced that time series data on employment have been revised according to the results of the 2011 Population Census; the unemployment rate for October-December 2011 was revised from 2.1% to 2.2%, and the underemployment rate was revised from 0.9% to 0.8%.

Results of the latest Employment Survey indicated that the unemployment rate for November 2011-January 2012 was 2.1%, down by 0.1 percentage point compared with the revised figure of 2.2% in October-December 2011; meanwhile, the underemployment rate stayed unchanged at 0.8%.

Total labour force was 345,000 in November 2011-January 2012 and the labour force participation rate held stable as the previous period, at 73.2%.

Total employment was 338,000, up by 1,300 from 337,000 in the previous period. Analyzed by industry, employment of the Gaming Sector; Transport, Storage & Communications Sector; and the Construction Sector saw increase.

Number of the unemployed totalled 7,400, down by 200 from 7,600 in the previous period, with 12.7% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job.

In comparison with November 2010-January 2011, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 0.6 and 0.9 percentage point respectively; meanwhile, the labour force participation rate rose by 1.3 percentage points.