Hong Kong's jobless rate edged up by 0.2 percentage points in the three months ending July while total employment increased.

Data released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday showed that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.7 percent, compared with 3.5 percent in the April-to-June period.

Unemployment rose in sectors such as foundation and superstructure, food and beverage, retail and real estate, and declined in sectors including cleaning, buildings decoration and repair, and social work.

Government figures also showed total employment increased by around 14,000, from 3.657 million to 3.671 million.

The labour force, meanwhile, climbed by 22,700 to 3.816 million.

The underemployment rate remained steady at 1.4 percent.

"Although the latest unemployment rate rose slightly over the preceding three-month period, we note the positive development that the total employment also increased during the same period. The uptick in the number of unemployed persons was partly attributable to the influx of fresh graduates and school leavers entering the labour market," Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said in a statement.

"The sustained growth of the Hong Kong economy should be able to drive job creation, creating more employment opportunities for fresh graduates and school leavers joining the labour force.

"While unemployment rates across various industries will continue to hinge on their respective business conditions, the government's various measures to promote economic growth, bolster consumption sentiment and attract investment are anticipated to support the overall labour demand."