Hong Kong’s jobless rate stood at 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, official data showed, as the government warned of continuous challenges in some sectors.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained the same as the September-November period, data from the Census and Statistics Department showed, meeting the market’s expectations.
The underemployment rate, however, increased 0.1 percentage point to 1.7 percent in the quarter.
Movements in the unemployment rate in different industry sectors varied, but the magnitudes were generally small compared to the preceding three-month period, the government said.
As to the underemployment rate, increases were mainly seen in the transportation sector and information and communications sector, while a decline in the underemployment rate was spotted in the cleaning and similar activities sector, it said.
The number of unemployed persons dropped by around 6,200 to 138,200 in the three months ended December, but the figure of underemployed persons increased by around 3,900 to 64,800.
The continued growth of the Hong Kong economy and the improvement in local consumption sentiment should help stabilize the labour market, said Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han in a statement.
“Nonetheless, the employment situations in some sectors may continue to be affected by their challenging business conditions,” Sun added.
The city’s labor force declined by around 9,100 to 3.81 million.
