Unemployment, Underemployment Rates in Macau Drop in Q1 2023

The general unemployment rate, unemployment rate of local residents, and the underemployment rate in Macau decreased in the first quarter of 2023, as per the Statistics and Census Service's (DSEC) latest employment survey released on April 28.

Both the general unemployment and unemployment rates of local residents dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1% and 3.9%, respectively, compared to the previous period of December 2022 to February 2023, whereas the underemployment rate went down by 0.5 percentage points to 2.2%.

Macau's labour force was recorded at 370,800, with a labour force participation rate of 67.9% and a total employment rate of 359,300. Employed residents also went down by 600 and 1,000 for the preceding period to 281,200.

The number of unemployed persons dropped by 700 from the previous period to 11,500, with the majority having come from construction and gaming and junket activities, the DSEC said. The total of underemployed persons, on the other hand, went down by 1,900 from the last period to 8,000, with the downswing observed mainly in gaming and junket.

The DSEC also added that employment in the transport and storage sector (16,800) increased by 2,300. The median monthly employment salary for the first quarter of 2023 also went up by MOP1,400 quarter-on-quarter to MOP20,000.

For more information on the DSEC's employment surveys, go here.