MACAO - Macao's general unemployment rate for the whole year of 2013 stood at 1.8 percent and the unemployment rate of local residents was 2.4 percent, both down by 0.2 percentage points year-on-year, according to the figures released on Monday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Information from the DSEC indicated that the unemployment rate for October to December 2013 was 1.8 percent, down by 0.1 percentage point over September to November 2013, and the underemployment rate held stable at 0.4 percent.

The number of the unemployed decreased by about 200 from the previous period to 6,800 between October and December, with 13.6 percent being fresh labor force entrants searching for their first job, the figures indicated.

The city's total labor force stood at 377,000 in the period, with the labor force participation rate at 73.2 percent.

The employed population increased by about 2,000 over the previous period to 370,000. Employment of the Recreational, Cultural, Gaming and other services sectors saw increases, the DSEC also said.