HK Job Prospects ImproveWith the continuing recovery of the Hong Kong economy, it is expected more jobs would be available in the market, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Donald Tsang said on Thursday."Total employment has risen six months in a row, and total employment has gone up by 2.1 percent in May to July, representing an acceleration from the increases of 1.7 percent and 1.9 percent respectively in the first two quarters," Tsang said after chairing the twenty second meeting of the Task Force on Employment. In July, some 14,200 job vacancies were registered with the Labor Department, representing a 12.8 percent increase over the same month last year, Tsang said. The Department also found jobs for 5,200 job-seekers which is a record figure for the month of July and represents a 27.8 percent increase over the same month last year, he said. As for the youth, Tsang said the government has added a three-month On-the-Job Training Scheme to the Youth Pre-employment Training Program (YPTP) this year, in a bid to enhance job opportunities for young people. At the end of July, the Labor Department has found more than 800 training vacancies for YPTP trainees and over 1,000 trainees have registered under the scheme. To further increase the trainees' employment opportunities in specific trades and professions, the Labor Department has organized a series of trade specific briefings and tailor made courses for them, Tsang said. "Assisting the youth to equip themselves with the necessary skills and knowledge to find jobs remains one of our top priorities," he said. |
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