Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate declined further as the job market stayed robust. The unemployment rate for November 2013-January 2014 was 1.7%, down by 0.1 percentage point from October-December 2013; the underemployment rate held stable at 0.4%. Total labour force was 379,000 and the labour force participation rate stood at 73.0%. Total employment reached 372,000, an increase of 1,700 from October-December 2013. Analysed by industry, employment in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities increased by 1.9%. Number of the unemployed was 6,500, down by 300 from October-December 2013; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 14.6% of the total unemployed, up by 1.0 percentage point. In comparison with November 2012-January 2013, the labour force participation rate increased by 0.5 percentage points; both the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points.
