Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the general unemployment rate for December 2016-February 2017 was 2.0%, and the unemployment rate of local residents was 2.8%; meanwhile, the underemployment rate stood at 0.5%. All three indicators held stable as in the previous period (November 2016-January 2017).

Total labour force was 387,000 and the labour force participation rate stood at 70.9%. Total employment was 379,100 and number of employed residents totalled 277,100, down by 2,800 and 800 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Recreational, Cultural, Gaming & Other Services and Retail Trade registered a decrease, while that in Hotels & Similar Activities saw an increase.

Number of the unemployed was 7,900, similar to that in the previous period; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 8.4% of the total unemployed, up by 0.8 percentage points.

In comparison with December 2015- February 2016, the labour force participation rate dropped by 1.6 percentage points; the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point, while the underemployment rate held steady.