Hong Kong’s unemployment rate has dropped by 5.5 per cent as the city experiences a mini-economic recovery as the Covid-19 pandemic situation improves.
The number of people without a job in city dropped by around 20,200 to 213,100 between April and June. The latest figure marks a 0.5 per cent reduction from six per cent level at which the jobless rate stood between March and May this year.
The most significant decreases in unemployment came in the construction, import and export, wholesale, retail accommodation, food services, arts, entertainment and recreation sectors.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said the HK$5,000 Consumption Voucher Scheme would help the economic recovery and that the labour market should improve further.
“To create a solid foundation for a fully-fledged revival of economic activities and hence a continued recovery of the labour market, it is essential for the community to actively participate in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme,” Law said on Tuesday.
Hong Kong’s economy was hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with the city’s unemployment rate hitting 7.2 per cent in the three-month period between December 2020 and February this year, the highest since the SARS pandemic in 2003.
