According to the Provincial Office’s employment trend report in May 2003, it appears that the unemployment rate stood at 3.0%, and the number of the unemployed people at 144,000, showing drops of 0.3% and 12,000 respectively from the previous month.

The Provincial Office says that such a drop in the unemployment rate is due to an increase in employment in the agricultural and fishery sectors with onset of the farming season, as well as to the increase in employment in all sectors except for wholesale/retail businesses, restaurants and hotels. In the meantime, the economically active population stood at 4,764,000, a 2.5% (118,000) increase from last year, and a 0.1% (20,000) increase since last month.

The non-economically active population stood at 2,938,000, a 0.3% (10,000) increase from last month. The number of the employed stood at 4,619,000, a 1.9% (86,000) increase from the corresponding period last year, and a 0.7% (31,000) increase from last month’s figures.