Macao's unemployment rate for the period of December 2010 to February 2011 reached 2.8 percent, up slightly by 0.1 percentage point from the previous period of November 2010 to January 2011, according to the figures released Monday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

The number of the unemployed increased by 400 from the previous period to 9,300 between December 2010 and February 2011, with 5.1 percent being fresh labor force entrants searching for their first job, the figures indicated.

In comparison with the same period of the previous year, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage point and 0.2 percentage point, respectively, the labor force participation rate rose by 0.6 percentage point, according to the DSEC.

The city's total labor force stood at 334,000 in the period, with the labor force participation rate monitored at 71.6 percent.

The employed population increased by 1,900 over the previous period to 325,000, in which employment of hotels, restaurants and similar activities, and the gaming sector saw an increase, while that of transport, storage and communications sector registered a decrease, the DSEC said.

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