HONG KONG, March 9(Xinhuanet)-- Hong Kong's job market is improving, with the Labor Department receiving 1,500 vacancies a day, Hong Kong's Secretary for Economic Development and Labor Stephen Ip said on Wednesday.

Speaking at Recruitment Expo 2005, Ip said the job fair at the Convention and Exhibition Center features more than 9,000 vacancies, reflecting the positive job market.

"For university graduates, we are talking about a starting salary ranging from 8,000 Hong Kong dollars to more than 10,000 Hong Kong dollars. This is very good. So there are a lot of opportunities for young people," said Ip.

Ip said vacancies received by the department are not only for young people but also for the middle-aged. He said no drastic dropis expected in the jobless rate in the near future.

"Hong Kong is still undergoing economic re-structuring and there are still many challenges that we need to overcome," Ip added.