Jobless rate dips, but job losses in retail and tourism at 10.8pc

Hong Kong's jobless rate dropped slightly to 6.1 percent, the government announced.

The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate eased by 0.1 percentage point to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent from April to June, the highest in more than 15 years.

The figure was also better than market expectations of 6.4 percent.

The government said the Employment Support Scheme was able to provide companies with the support they needed. 

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said: "The labor market will remain under significant pressure in the near term. The recent surges in infected cases both worldwide and locally have further clouded Hong Kong's economic outlook for the rest of the year."

Although the unemployment rate dropped, the number of unemployed increased by 1,800 to 245,000.

Declines in the jobless rate were mainly in the information and communications sector, professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar activities) sector, and education.

As to the underemployment rate, a decline was mainly seen in the retail, accommodation and food services sector.

The jobless rate of the consumption- and tourism-related sectors (such as retail, accommodation and food services sectors) combined edged up to 10.8 percent in May-July 2020, the highest since the onslaught of SARS.

Among these sectors, the unemployment rate for food and beverage service activities stayed near the post-SARS high, at 14.6 percent.

The jobless rate of the construction sector edged up to 11.3 percent, the highest since the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Total employment increased by around 16,600 to 3,64 million in May-July 2020. Over the same period, the labor force also increased by around 18,400 to 3.88 million.