Rise in unemployment sparks suicide bids in Hong Kong
November 19th, 2008 - 10:14 am ICT by IANSHong Kong, Nov 19 (DPA) A jobless driver leapt to his death from the 33rd floor of a building in Hong Kong, becoming the latest victim of the economic downturn, the police said Wednesday.The 29-year-old married man was confirmed dead at the scene after jumping Tuesday evening from the window of his flat. He had been out of work for a month.
His suicide came as government statistics revealed growing job losses and a fall in the number of job vacancies in the city of 6.9 million people.
On the same day, a decorator who had just lost his job prepared to jump from a window in a flat where he had been working, but was talked down to safety.
The cases are the latest in a series of suicides and attempted suicides in Hong Kong that have been linked to debt and the economic slump.
Last month, a 62-year-old businessman leapt to his death from the eighth floor of a building after suffering huge losses as the stock market posted its biggest selloff in more than 10 years.
In September, a 59-year-old businessman and his wife killed themselves and their two-year-old son because of the fear that they faced financial ruin.
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Tags: economic downturn, economic slump, eighth floor, financial ruin, government statistics, job vacancies, latest victim, married man, selloff, tuesday evening
