Hong Kong's unemployment rate over the past three months rose slightly to 3.9 percent, as authorities expressed optimism that the growing economy could prop up the labour market.

Data released by the Census and Statistics Department on Friday showed the jobless rate between November and January increased by 0.1 percentage point compared to the October-to-December figure.

The underemployment rate remained unchanged at 1.7 percent.

Notable job losses were seen in the insurance, construction, and financing sectors, but the situation improved in the transport sector and cleaning-related industry.

"The sustained growth momentum of the Hong Kong economy should help buttress the overall labour market," labour secretary Chris Sun said in a statement.

"Nonetheless, the employment situation in some sectors may continue to be under pressure amid their challenging operating environments."

The number of people out of work stood at 138,400 in the three-month period ending January, while total employment declined by about 1,100.



Edited by Aaron Tam