HONG Kong's seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell to 4 percent between October-December from 4.1 percent between September-November, helped by sustained economic growth and job gains, the Census and Statistics Department announced yesterday.

The drop in the unemployment rate was mainly observed in the construction, education, repair, laundry, domestic and other personal-service activities sectors, the department said.

The job situation remains broadly stable, said Matthew Cheung, Secretary for Labor and Welfare.

"With the seasonal upsurge in business activities in the run-up to the Lunar New Year, there will be continuous demand for labor," he said.

The employers generally maintain a positive attitude towards business activity and staff recruitment in the next few months, Cheung said, citing a recent survey data. He expected the unemployment rate to remain low.

"The external environment, in particular the weak performance of the advanced economies and the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone, remains a cause for concern. We will continue to monitor developments closely," Cheung said.

The jobless rate fell to 1.8 percent from 1.9 percent in the same period.