Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for August-October 2016 held stable as in the previous period (July-September 2016), at 1.9%; the underemployment rate was 0.7%, up by 0.2 percentage points.

Total labour force was 397,000 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.3%. Total employment decreased by 4,700 from July-September, at 389,500. Analysed by industry, employment in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction registered a decrease, while that in Hotels & Similar Activities saw an increase.

Number of the unemployed was 7,500, down by 100; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 19.2% of the total unemployed, down by 4.5 percentage points.

In comparison with August-October 2015, the labour force participation rate dropped by 0.9 percentage points; the unemployment rate held steady, while the underemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points.