Statistics on Labour Force, Employment, Unemployment, and Underemployment@Hong Kong

This table contains details around the labour market in Hong Kong between 11/2022 and 6/2024. Remarks: 1. Number of persons are rounded to the nearest hundred. Figures in the table may not add up to the total due to rounding. For annual estimates less than 1 000 and quarterly estimates less than 3 000, they should be interpreted with caution due to relatively large sampling error.Figures under the "resident population" method prior to April-June 1996 are not available.Starting from 2001, annual figures are compiled based on the survey results of the General Household Survey from January to December of the year concerned as well as the mid-year population estimates. 1. Labour force refers to the land-based non-institutional population aged 15 and over who satisfy the criteria for being classified as employed persons or unemployed persons. Inmates of institutions and persons living on board vessels are excluded. 2. Labour force participation rate refers to the proportion of labour force in the total land-based non-institutional population aged 15 and over. 3. Unemployed persons refer to those persons aged 15 and over who fulfil the following conditions :(a) have not had a job and have not performed any work for pay or profit during the 7 days before enumeration;(b) have been available for work during the 7 days before enumeration; and(c) have sought work during the 30 days before enumeration.However, if a person aged 15 or over fulfils the conditions (a) and (b) above but has not sought work during the 30 days before enumeration because he/she believes that work is not available, he/she is still classified as unemployed, being regarded as a so-called "discouraged worker".Notwithstanding the above, the following types of persons are also classified as unemployed :(a) persons without a job, have sought work but have not been available for work because of temporary sickness; and(b) persons without a job, have been available for work but have not sought work because they :(i) have made arrangements to take up a new job or to start business on a subsequent date; or(ii) were expecting to return to their original jobs. Unemployed persons with a previous job by previous industry/occupation do not include first-time job-seekers and re-entrants into the labour force who were unemployed as information on previous industry/occupation of these persons is not available. 4. Unemployment rate refers to the proportion of unemployed persons in the labour force. 5. Unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) refers to the unemployment rate adjusted for seasonal variations. Starting from May 2008, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is compiled by the X-12 ARIMA method to replace the previous X-11 ARIMA method. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rates since November 2006 - January 2007 have also been revised using the new method. Figures prior to November 2006 – January 2007 refer to the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates based on the X-11 ARIMA method. Seasonal adjustment is not applicable to annual average unemployment rates. 6. Employed persons refer to those persons aged 15 and over who have been engaged in performing work for pay or profit during the 7 days before enumeration or who have had formal job attachment. Unpaid family workers and employed persons who were on leave/holiday during the 7 days before enumeration are included. 7. Underemployed persons refer to those employed persons who have involuntarily worked less than 35 hours during the 7 days before enumeration and have sought additional work during the 30 days before enumeration, or have not sought additional work but have been available for additional work during the 7 days before enumeration. Following this definition, employed persons taking no-pay leave due to slack work during the 7 days before enumeration are also classified as underemployed if they worked less than 35 hours or were on leave even for the whole period during the 7-day period. 8. Underemployment rate refers to the proportion of underemployed persons in the labour force.