Macau's general unemployment rate (2.9 percent) and local residents' unemployment rate (3.9 percent) for the December 2020-February 2021 period increased by 0.2 percentage points from the previous survey period (November 2020-January 2021), the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) has announced.
The general unemployment rate comprises local residents (Macau ID card holders) and non-resident workers (informally known as "blue card holders), the bureau said in a statement yesterday.
Macau's underemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.5 percent.
The labour force living in Macau totalled 398,400, while the labour force participation rate stood at 70.2 percent. Total employment was 386,900, while the number of employed residents totalled 282,600, down by 2,300 and 1,500 respectively from the previous period.
Employment in hotels & similar business activities decreased, while that in the gaming and junket sectors increased.
The number of the unemployed increased by 600 from the previous period to 11,500. Among the unemployed looking for a new job, most were previously engaged in the gaming, junket and construction industry.
The proportion of new labour market entrants looking for their first job declined by 2.0 percentage points to 8.2 percent of the total number of unemployed.
The number of the underemployed rose by 400 from the previous period to 18,100, with the majority working in the gaming and junket sector as well as the transport and storage sector.
Compared with December 2019-February 2020, the underemployment rate and the unemployment rate increased by 3.7 and 1.0 percentage points respectively, while the labour force participation rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points.
The bureau's employment survey covers all residential units in the peninsula, Taipa and Coloane, excluding living quarters such as dormitories and retirement homes. Individuals living in these units are included in the survey, according to the statement.
Consequently, the statement pointed out, Macau residents and non-resident workers who work in Macau but live outside the special administrative region (SAR) are excluded.
Based on official border-crossing records, Macau residents and non-resident workers who worked in Macau but lived outside the SAR were estimated at 83,600; when including these individuals, Macau's total labour force was 482,000, a decrease of 1,100 from the previous period, the statement noted.
