Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the general unemployment rate (1.7%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.3%) for November 2019 - January 2020 held steady from the previous period (October-December 2019). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate (0.4%) dropped by 0.1 percentage point.

Total labour force was 399,900 and the labour force participation rate was 70.7%. Total employment was 393,100 and number of employed residents totalled 284,700, up by 3,300 and 3,100 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Wholesale & Retail Trade increased while that in the Transport, Storage & Communications Sector decreased.

Number of the unemployed was 6,800, up by 100 from the previous period. The proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job decreased by 1.9 percentage points to 14.4% of the total unemployed.

In comparison with November 2018-January 2019, both the unemployment rate and underemployment rate remained constant, while the labour force participation rate dropped by 0.8 percentage points.