The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Hong Kong rose to 3.8% from June to August, and the underemployment rate rose to 1.9%

The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to the latest labor force statistics released by the Hong Kong Government Statistics Department today (September 17) (that is, provisional figures for June to August 2026), the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 3.7% from May to July 2026 to 3.8% from June to August 2026. The underemployment rate also increased from 1.7% from May to July 2026 to 1.9% from June to August 2026.

Compared with May to July 2026, the unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) in most major economic sectors increased during the period from June to August 2026. Among them, there was a relatively significant increase in the food service activity sector. In terms of underemployment, the increase was mainly seen in the food service activity industry and the construction industry.

The total number of employed people rose from 36,47,600 from May to July 2026 to 365,2,000 from June to August 2026, an increase of about 4,400. The total working population also rose from 3793,300 to 3805,900 during the same period, an increase of about 12,600.

The number of unemployed (not seasonally adjusted) rose from 145,700 from May to July 2026 to 153,900 from June to August 2026, an increase of about 8,200. The number of underemployed people also rose from 66,200 to 72,100 during the same period, an increase of about 5,900.

comments

Commenting on the latest unemployment figures, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare of Hong Kong, Mr Sun Yuhan, said, “The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from June to August 2026 rose slightly by 0.1 percentage points to 3.8% compared to the previous three-month period. The underemployment rate also rose 0.2 percentage points to 1.9%. The working population and total number of employed persons increased further during the same period.”

Looking ahead, Sun Yuhan said, “Continued expansion of the local economy is expected to support the overall labor market, although the employment situation in various industries will still depend on their business environment. At the same time, the potential impact of the evolution of peripheral uncertainties on companies' recruitment intentions is still worth paying attention to.”