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%) for June-August 2019 held steady from the previous period (May-July 2019). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate (0.4%) dropped by 0.1 percentage point.

Total labour force was 394,400 and the labour force participation rate was 70.3%. Total employment was 387,300, up by 200 from the previous period; number of employed residents totalled 281,600, down by 100. Analysed by industry, employment in Wholesale & Retail Trade increased while that in Hotels & Similar Activities decreased.

Number of the unemployed was 7,100, up by 100 from the previous period. With fresh graduates entering the labour market, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job increased by 4.1 percentage points to 19.3% of the total unemployed.

In comparison with June-August 2018, the unemployment rate stayed steady, while the labour force participation rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 0.7 and 0.2 percentage points respectively.