HK's jobless rate steady at three percent
Hong Kong's jobless rate stood unchanged at three percent in the three-month period ending in May. The underemployment rate edged up slightly to 1.2 percent, compared with 1.1 percent in the February-April period.  Official figures from the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday showed that about 2,500 people became jobless during the latest period, taking the tally to 116,200, while the number of underemployed people rose by 4,200 to 44,700. Notable increases in the underemployment rate were observed in sectors including decoration, repair, building maintenance, cleaning, arts, entertainment and recreation. Total employment, meanwhile, increased by about 2,800 to about 3.69 million, and the labour force also increased by about 5,300 to 3.81 million. Commenting on the latest data, Labour Secretary Chris Sun said the jobless rate remained low. He said the city's labour market "should stay tight in the near term alongside the continued economic growth".