Hong Kong's unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.2 percent in the November-January period _ the lowest in more than four years, AP quoted governmental sources as saying Friday. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate decreased from 5.3 percent in the October-December period, the Census and Statistics Department said in a statement. The decrease was in line with analysts' predictions. The number of unemployed fell to below 180,000 for the first time since June-August 2001. But the total number of employed people also dropped by 4,500 to 3.4 million for the latest three-month period, while the labor force decreased by around 12,400 to 3.6 million. The government attributed the fall in total employment to reduced business activities and labor demand in sectors such as manufacturing and business services around Chinese New Year holiday.
