【明報專訊】THE government has published the unemployment figures for the first quarter of this year. The unemployment rate is now 3.4 per cent, a rise of 0.1 percentage point on the previous quarter. The Hong Kong economy is heavily dependent on a number of external factors. As global economic recovery is weak and mainland China is faced with a slowdown in economic growth, Hong Kong's employment market is now easily unsettled by the slightest sign of disturbance. It is expected that the unemployment rate will remain on the rise for some time.