Coronavirus: Hong Kong jobless rate climbs to 7.2 per cent, hitting highest level since 2004

Rolling unemployment rate between December and February was 0.2 percentage points higher than previous three-month period

Labour market will still face challenges in the near term as epidemic has yet to be fully contained, official warns

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The coronavirus crisis has taken its toll on the labour market. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 6:45pm, 16 Mar 2021Updated: 8:16pm, 16 Mar 2021

Hong Kong’s jobless rate rose to 7.2 per cent in February, the highest since 2004, with the labour chief warning the market will continue to face challenges as the coronavirus pandemic is not yet under control.

The rolling three-month unemployment rate between December and February was 0.2 percentage points higher than the 7 per cent reported for the November-to-January period, the Census and Statistics Department announced on Tuesday.

The underemployment rate also increased from 3.8 per cent to 4 per cent.

“The labour market remained under notable pressure in December 2020 to February 2021,” Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said. “The labour market will still face challenges in the near term as the epidemic has yet to be fully contained and inbound tourism remains frozen.”

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong. Photo: Dickson Lee

But with the launch of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, Law believed the coronavirus threat could gradually recede.