Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the general unemployment rate (1.8%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.4%) dropped by 0.1 percentage point from the previous period (October-December 2017). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate was 0.4%, up by 0.1 percentage point.

Total labour force was 382,800 and the labour force participation rate was 69.8%. Total employment was 376,000, up by 100 from the previous period; number of employed residents held stable as in the previous period, at 276,400. Analysed by industry, employment in Gaming & Junket Activities registered an increase while that in Construction decreased.

Number of the unemployed was 6,900, down by 200 from the previous period. Fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 9.9% of the total unemployed, down by 2.7 percentage points.

In comparison with November 2016-January 2017, the labour force participation rate, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 1.5, 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points respectively.