Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent for the three months from May to July, a 0.2 percentage point rise compared to the figures for the April-June period, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

The underemployment rate remained unchanged at 1.4 percent in the two periods, data released by the department showed on Tuesday.

Total employment increased by around 14,000 from 3,657,300 in the April-June period to 3,671,300 from May to July, while the labor force also increased by around 22,700 from 3,793,500 to 3,816,200 during the same period, according to the official data.

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed people increased by around 8,800 from 136,200 during the April-June period to 145,000 in May-July, whereas the number of underemployed people also increased by around 2,600 from 52,600 to 55,200 over the same period, the department’s data indicated.

“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,” Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in a statement.

Sun pointed out that the uptick in the number of unemployed people was partly attributable to the influx of fresh graduates and school leavers entering the labor market.

“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 labor force,” the labor chief said.

The government's various measures to promote economic growth, bolster consumption sentiment and attract investment were anticipated to support the overall labor demand, he added.

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The department’s survey for the May-July period covered a sample of some 26,000 households or 68,000 persons, selected in accordance with a scientifically designed sampling scheme to represent the population of Hong Kong.