Hong Kong jobless numbers drop 20,000 as pandemic woes ease

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.

covid covid19 covid-19 — File photo: GovHK.

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.