Unemployment stable at 1.9 pct

2013-5-28

From：Macau Daily Times

The unemployment rate for February-April 2013 held stable at 1.9 percent in comparison with the previous period (January-March), according to information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The underemployment rate was 0.8 percent, up by 0.1 percentage point. The total labor force was 359,400 and the labor force participation rate stood at 71.8 percent. Total employment reached 352,400, an increase of 600 from the previous period. Analyzed by industry, an increase in employment was observed in Gaming and Retail Trade, but employment in Restaurants & Similar Activities registered a decrease. The number of the unemployed totaled 7,000, an increase of 200 from the previous period. DSEC further reported that fresh labor force entrants searching for their first jobs accounted for 4.2 percent of the total unemployed, down by 2.0 percentage points. In comparison with February-April 2012, the labor force participation rate and the unemployment rate decreased by 0.6 and 0.1 percentage points respectively, and the underemployment rate remained unchanged.

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