HONG KONG - Hong Kong's Labor Department said on Monday that it will extend the Employment Program for the Middle-aged to cover part-time jobs from September.

The move is to encourage employers to provide more suitable employment opportunities for the mature job seekers, the department said.

Employers who engage unemployed mature job seekers aged 40 or above and provide them with on-the-job training may apply for a training allowance of up to 3,000 HK dollars (about 386 US dollars) per month per employee under the program, for a period of three to six months.

Meanwhile, the department will launch a Job Fair for Middle- aged and Elderly Employment on Sept 10, providing about 1,200 full-time and part-time vacancies, and conduct on-the-spot recruitment.

The positions include clerks, library assistants, domestic helpers, traditional Chinese medicine dispensers, repair services operators, shop assistants, cooks, technicians and drivers.