Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 3.8% in the three months ending August 2026, from 3.7% in each of the previous five periods. Not seasonally adjusted, the jobless rate rose to 4.0% from 3.8%, with unemployment increasing across most major economic sectors, with a more pronounced rise observed in food and beverage service activities. The number of unemployed persons increased by 8,200 month-on-month to 153,900, while total employment rose by 4,400 to 3.652 million. The youth unemployment rate for those aged 20 to 29 climbed to 9.1% from 8.4%. The underemployment rate also ticked up to 1.9% from 1.7%, with the number of underemployed persons rising by 5,900 to 72,100. Meanwhile, the participation rate went up to 56.6% from 56.3%, as the labor force increased by around 12,600 to nearly 3.806 million.