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Jobless fall linked to part-time work

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and WANDA SZETOA SMALL fall in unemployment between March and May was most likely the result of an increase in part-time work, the Government said yesterday.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was estimated at 2.9 per cent - a fall of 0.2 percentage points from the February-April period.

The February-April figure was adjusted upwards from the provisional three per cent.

But the underemployment rate rose from 1.5 per cent to 1.9 per cent, indicating a rise in temporary jobs.

Tang Kwong-yiu, a government economist, said the recent rise in the unemployment rate was apparently tapering off.

But he added: 'I think the fall may not be that significant to lead us to conclude that a down trend is developing.' He said preliminary analysis of the figures suggested the fall was concentrated in the manufacturing and construction sectors.

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