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.