China News Agency, Hong Kong, June 27 (Reporter Han Xingtong) Luo Zhiguang, Secretary of the Labor and Welfare Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said after meeting a radio program on the 27th that he expected the unemployment rate in Hong Kong to rise to 6%.
Luo Zhiguang said that the number of newly diagnosed international new pneumonia has been rising recently, and he still does not know when it will reach its peak, so he cannot be too optimistic about the future economy.
Luo Zhiguang mentioned that in the first half of 1997, the unemployment rate in Hong Kong was 3% or less, which is the level of employment for all. However, after the Asian financial turmoil, the SARS epidemic and the financial tsunami, the unemployment rate did not decrease to 3% until 2017. The level of employment for the entire population shows that the time required is quite long. He believes that the impact of the new global pneumonia epidemic may be deeper and farther away, so the SAR government can only maintain a very cautious attitude to look at the economy and employment.
He expects that the unemployment rate in Hong Kong will remain at a level of 5% to 6% for a period of time in the future, and will not decline in a short period of time. He believes that the average unemployment rate from April to June announced in July will exceed 6%.
In addition, Luo Zhiguang also pointed out that in the past month, the diagnosis rate of Hong Kong people returning to Hong Kong from the Philippines was 0.65%. According to estimates, if there are 10,000 people coming to Hong Kong in a short time, 65 of them may be diagnosed. Therefore, foreign domestic helpers are quarantined at home The situation is not ideal. The bureau is discussing with the Department of Health of the SAR Government whether the quarantine order lists some people as unsuitable for home quarantine.
He added that the Labour Department will discuss with other departments to provide intermediary companies and employers with information on hotels at reasonable prices suitable for quarantine, such as a 14-day quarantine fee package. (Finish)