Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the general unemployment rate (1.8%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.5%) for March-May 2018 both decreased by 0.1 percentage point from the previous period (February-April 2018). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate remained unchanged at 0.5%.

Total labour force was 390,300 and the labour force participation rate was 70.8%. Total employment was 383,100 and number of employed residents totalled 282,500, up by 1,600 and 1,700 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Wholesale & Retail Trade and Gaming & Junket Activities registered increases while that in Transport, Storage & Communications decreased.

Number of the unemployed was 7,200, down by 200 from the previous period. Fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 5.6% of the total unemployed, up by 0.5 percentage points.

In comparison with March-May 2017, the labour force participation rate and the unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 and 0.2 percentage points respectively, while the underemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage point.