Hong Kong's unemployment rate held steady in June, defying economists' expectations for an increase, figures from the Census and Statistics Department showed Tuesday.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate came in at 3.4 percent in the three months to June, the same rate as in the previous month. Economists had expected the rate to rise slightly to 3.5 percent.
The underemployment rate also remained unchanged at 1.4 percent in the two periods.
On an unadjusted basis, the number of unemployed people totaled 136,100 in the April to June period, up from 134,600 in the March to May period.
Total employment grew by around 6,200 over the period to 3,807,100 in the three months ended June.
"The employment outlook remains overshadowed by the increased external headwinds and the concurrent slowdown in inbound tourism and local consumption market," the Secretary for Labor and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said.
"With the entry of fresh graduates and school leavers into the labor force during the summer season, the labor supply is likely to be boosted in the coming months. We will stay vigilant and monitor developments closely."
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