Labour Secretary Chris Sun attributes a variety of factors for this
Hong Kong's unemployment rate declined to 4.7% between April and June this year, according to data released by the Census and Statistics Department, thanks to government initiatives and easing COVID-19 restrictions.
Between April and June, the unemployment rate decreased in almost all major economic sectors, according to the Labour Department, (LD) with distinct drops in the sectors of construction, retail, accommodation and food services, as well as arts, entertainment, and recreation.
The underemployment rate also decreased to three per cent during the period, according to the LD.
Meanwhile, the total employment increased by around 17,800 between April and June, while the labour force recorded an around 5,000 increase during the same period.
Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun attributed the improving statistics in the labour force to a variety of reasons.
"The labour market improved in April - June 2022 amid the moderating local epidemic situation in general and the gradual relaxation of social distancing measures. The Consumption Voucher Scheme and the 2022 Employment Support Scheme have also helped," said Sun in a statement.
Read more: Hong Kong unveils latest wage, payroll statistics
According to the secretary, they are expecting further improvement in the upcoming months, but this remains dependent on Hong Kong's situation with COVID-19.
"As domestic economic activities continue to revive, the labour market is likely to improve further in the near term, but the extent of improvement would depend on the local epidemic situation as well as the global and local financial conditions," he said.
Meanwhile, to further boost employment across Hong Kong, the LD will organise a large-scale job fair on August 4 and 5, which will see the participation of more than 40 employers offering a variety of roles to applicants.
"The various measures rolled out by the government would continue to provide support for the recovery of the local economy. I call upon the community to continue to work together with the Government to keep the epidemic under control," said Sun.
