Macao's unemployment rate between April and June this year reached 3.6 percent, slightly up by 0.8 percentage point over the same period of last year, according to figures released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) Tuesday.

The figures indicated that the underemployment rate for the second quarter stood at 1.8 percent, up 0.2 percentage point year on year.

The total labor force remained stable from the previous period, at 333,000 in the second quarter, and the labor force participation rate stayed at 72.6 percent. The number of the unemployed was 12, 000, of which 9.4 percent were fresh labor force entrants searching for their first jobs.

The number of unemployment in construction and the gaming sector decreased from the preceding period in the second quarter, while that in hotels, restaurants and similar activities registered an increase, according to the DSEC.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2009)