Hong Kong's jobless rate edged down during the May-July period, ending a gaining streak for nine moving three-month periods, but still remained at a relatively high level as the COVID-19 epidemic continued to weigh on the economy.
The unemployment rate was 6.1 percent for the past three months, retreating from the over-15-year high of 6.2 percent from April to June, data from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government showed on Wednesday. Over the same period, the underemployment rate also dropped mildly from 3.7 percent to 3.5 percent.
Secretary for Labor and Welfare of the HKSAR government Law Chi-kwong attributed the decline to temporary abating of the epidemic in May and June and the launch of an employment support scheme.
But he stressed that "the labor market remained austere...and will remain under significant pressure in the near term."
The unemployment rate of the consumption- and tourism-related sectors combined edged up to 10.8 percent in the May-July period, the highest since the SARS outbreak in 2003.
Of all, the rate for food and beverage sector stood at 14.6 percent, and that of the construction sector edged up to 11.3 percent. The situation improved in several sectors, including information and communications, professional and business services, and education.
As surging infected cases further clouded Hong Kong's economic outlook, the HKSAR government has rolled out relief measures of unprecedented scale, including a series of measures on job retention and job creation, which help keep workers in employment, Law said, adding that the government will continue to monitor the situation closely.
