Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the unemployment rate (1.9%) and the underemployment rate (0.5%) for March-May 2016 remained stable as in February-April 2016. Total labour force was 396,200 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.0%. Total employment decreased by 1,000 from February-April, at 388,600. Analysed by industry, employment in Restaurants & Similar Activities and Gaming & Junket Activities registered decrease, while that in Wholesale & Retail Trade saw increase. Number of the unemployed was 7,600, down by 100 from February-April; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 5.1% of the total unemployed, up by 0.1 percentage point. In comparison with March-May 2015, the labour force participation rate dropped by 2.0 percentage points, while the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate rose by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively.
