Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for April-June 2015 remained stable at 1.8% as in the previous period (March-May 2015); the underemployment rate was 0.4%, up by 0.1 percentage point. Total labour force was 405,400 and the labour force participation rate stood at 73.9%. Total employment decreased slightly by 200 from March-May 2015, at 398,300. Number of the unemployed was 7,200, similar to that in March-May 2015; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 9.5% of the total unemployed, up by 3.6 percentage points over the previous period. In the second quarter of 2015, both the general unemployment rate (1.8%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.5%) increased by 0.1 percentage point quarter-to-quarter. Total employment decreased by 1,200 quarter-to-quarter, with those aged 55-64 dropping by 900. Analysed by industry, employment in Real Estate & Business Activities (29,600) and Gaming & Junket Activities (83,800) dropped by 1,400 and 800 respectively, while that in Hotels & Similar Activities (28,400) rose by 2,300. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable as the previous quarter, at MOP15,000 in the second quarter; median earnings of the employed residents stood at MOP17,500, down by MOP500 quarter-to-quarter, as seasonal effect of the thirteenth month salary, bonuses, etc. of the first quarter receded.
