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 February-April 2019 held steady from the previous period (January-March 2019). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate was 0.5%, up by 0.1 percentage point.

Total labour force was 391,900 and the labour force participation rate was 70.0%. Total employment was 385,300 and number of employed residents totalled 280,100, down by 1,800 and 1,900 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Restaurants & Similar Activities (24,300) decreased by 600, while that in Gaming & Junket Activities (85,200) went up by 1,200.

Number of the unemployed was 6,600, up by 100 from the previous period. New labour market entrants seeking their first job accounted for 10.3% of the total unemployed, up by 1.8 percentage points.

In comparison with February-April 2018, the labour force participation rate and the unemployment rate dropped by 0.5 and 0.2 percentage points respectively, while the underemployment rate remained unchanged.