Hong Kong's unemployment rate during the period of November 2001 to
January 2002 reached 6.7 percent, the Census and Statistics
Department announced Thursday.
It
is 0.6 percent up from the period of October to December 2001 and
the number of unemployed persons increased from 209,800 to 219,000
during the same period.
The unemployment rate rose extensively across many economic
sectors, including foundation and superstructure construction, the
wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, transport, communications,
real estate and business services, the department said.
A
government spokesman said the unemployment rate seemed likely to
stay high in the near term as the labor market slackened distinctly
further.
( February 22, 2002)