Hong Kong  - 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, 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 2-year-old son because the feared that they faced financial ruin. (dpa)