Hong Kong's unemployment has been improved, indicated figures released Monday.

According to the latest labor force statistics released Monday by the Census and Statistics Department, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 8.6 percent in June-August to 8.3 percent in July-September, while the underemployment rate fell from 4.0 percent to 3.6 percent.

Decreases in the unemployment rate were observed in many of the major economic sectors, including the retail trade, amusement and recreational services, manufacturing, restaurants/hotels, transport, real estate and sanitary services.

As to the underemployment rate, decreases were concentrated in foundation and superstructure construction, hotels, transport and sanitary services.

Financial Secretary Henry Tang pledged after the release of the figures that the government would continue to join hands with different sectors in Hong Kong in creating more jobs.

Tang attributed the improvement on unemployment to the development of tourism-related industries and the rebound of Hong Kong's economy.

A government spokesman also commented that the extent of the latest decline in both the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate was encouraging.

The spokesman added that passenger traffic at the Hong Kong International Airport last month rebounded to over 95 percent of the level in September last year, while air cargo through put reached 235,000 tonnes, up 7.9 percent over September last year.

"These are clear signs that the economy is recovering," said the spokesman.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2003)