Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for March-May 2009 was 3.5%, down by 0.3 percentage point over the previous period (February-April), but up by 0.6 percentage point year-on-year.

Total labour force was similar to the previous period, at 333,000 in March-May, with an employed population of 321,000 and number of the unemployed decreasing by 1,100 to about 12,000. Among the unemployed, 9.9% (1,200) were fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, up by 0.6 percentage point over the previous period.

Except Manufacturing and Transport, Storage & Communications, the unemployment situation has shown improvement in all other sectors.

Labour force participation rate for March-May 2009 (72.6%) held stable from the previous period, but fell by 0.2 percentage point year-on-year. The underemployment rate was 1.7%, down by 0.1 percentage point over the preceding period, but up by 0.1 percentage point year-on-year.