The December-February jobless rate fell to 4.3 percent, the lowest since mid-1998, from 4.4 percent in November-January, Hong Kong's Census & Statistics Department said Tuesday.

The underemployment rate also fell from 2.3 percent to 2.2 percent, the lowest in more than five years.

Falls in the jobless rate were more apparent in the decoration and maintenance, restaurants and real-estate sectors. For the underemployment rate, falls were mainly found in the construction, and amusement and recreational-services sectors.

Total employment fell by 7,500 to 3.47 million. The labor force decreased 10,700 to 3.62 million. The number of jobless people fell 3,100 to a 73-month low of 146,800, below the 150,000 mark for the second consecutive period. The number of under-employed people also fell 3,400 to 80,500.

The labor market remained robust. In the two weeks after the Lunar New Year the Labour Department secured 20,862 vacancies from the private sector, up 11.7 percent on the same period last year. It achieved 17,136 placements in this year's first two months, a 4.6 percent year-on-year rise.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2007)