<div id="readability-page-1">Hong Kong’s jobless rate edged up by 0.1 percentage point over the past three months to 3.9 per cent after holding steady in the period between August and October last year, with unemployment rising in the insurance, construction and finance sectors. But labour authorities remained optimistic, saying the growing economy would support the job market going forward. Latest provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Friday showed the unemployment rate for the November-January period rose by 0.1 percentage point compared with the October-December period. It was back to the level of the period between July and September last year, when a 3.9 per cent jobless rate was reported. The city’s jobless rate had held at 3.8 per cent in the August-October period last year. The underemployment rate stood unchanged at 1.7 per cent. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han was sanguine about the jobless rate, saying it was “broadly on a par” with the level in the preceding three-month period. “The sustained growth momentum of the Hong Kong economy should help buttress the overall labour market,” he said. “Nonetheless, the employment situation in some sectors may continue to be under pressure amid challenging operating environments.” In a statement, the government noted that “movements in the unemployment rate … and underemployment rate in different industry sectors varied, but the magnitudes were generally not large”. “Increases in the unemployment rate … were mainly seen in the insurance sector, construction sector and finance sector while decreases were mainly seen in the transport sector and cleaning and similar activities sector,” it said.  According to the figures, some 138,400 people were out of work in the November-January period, about 200 more than in the October-December 2025 period. The number of underemployed people in the November-January period was 65,100, about 300 more than in the October-December period. The jobless rates for the insurance, construction and finance sectors were 3 per cent, 6.9 per cent and 2.3 per cent respectively, up from 2.7 per cent, 6.7 per cent and 2.1 per cent. The unemployment rate in the transport sector dropped to 2.6 per cent from 2.9, while that in the cleaning sector fell from 2.3 per cent to 2 per cent.</div>

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<p>Hong Kong's jobless rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 3.9% over the past three months, with rising unemployment in the insurance, construction, and finance sectors. Despite this, labor authorities remain optimistic about the job market due to economic growth. The underemployment rate remained at 1.7%. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun noted that while some sectors face challenges, the overall labor market is expected to benefit from sustained economic momentum. Approximately 138,400 people were unemployed in the November-January period, with notable increases in specific sectors.</p>

- Hong Kong's unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 3.9% over the past three months, notably increasing in the insurance, construction, and financial sectors.  
- The Labour Department remains optimistic, suggesting that economic growth will support future employment, despite certain industries facing challenges.  
- Recent data indicates that approximately 138,400 individuals were unemployed from November to January, a slight increase from the previous quarter, with varying unemployment rates across different sectors.

Hong Kong’s jobless rate edges up to 3.9% over past 3 months