Local residents' unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points in the November 2021-January 2022 to 4.2 percent compared with the October-December 2021 survey period, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) has announced.
Macau's general unemployment rate – which comprises local residents and non-resident workers – rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.2 percent.
Macau's underemployment rate dropped by 0.8 percentage points to 3.2 percent, according to a DSEC statement yesterday.
The labour force living in Macau totalled 391,400, while the labour force participation rate was 69.9 percent.
Total employment went up by 1,900 from the previous period to 379,000, while the number of employed residents rose by 2,000 to 284,500, attributable to an increase in the demand for local manpower in connection with a number of events held before the Chinese New Year, the bureau pointed out.
Analysed by industry, employment in the real estate sector increased, while that in the gaming & junket sector decreased.
The number of unemployed grew by 500 from the previous period to 12,400.
Among the unemployed looking for a new job, most were previously employed by the gaming and junket industry, as well as the construction sector.
The proportion of new labour market entrants looking for their first job decreased by 1.1 percentage points to 9.7 percent of the total unemployed.
The number of underemployed fell by 3,100 from the previous period to 12,600, with a notable drop in the number of those employed by the gaming and junket sector.
In comparison with November 2020-January 2021, the unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points, while the underemployment rate and the labour force participation rate dropped by 1.2 and 0.6 percentage points respectively.
According to yesterday's statement, the bureau's employment survey covers all residential units in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), excluding living quarters such as dormitories and care homes for the elderly. Individuals living in these units are included in the survey, and therefore local residents and non-resident workers who work in Macau but live outside the MSAR are excluded. According to the preliminary entry-exit records, an average of about 86,600 local residents and non-resident workers worked in Macau but lived outside the MSAR during the survey period when – including these individuals – Macau's total labour force was 478,000, an increase of 2,900 from the previous period.
According to Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) figures, Macau's number of non-resident workers (NRWs) stood at 167,440 at the end of January, a year-on-year drop of 4.7 percent, including 122,168 mainlanders (72.9 percent of the total number of NRWs), 27,650 Philippine nationals and 10,097 Vietnamese.
Macau's population – which includes NRWs living in Macau – stood at 683,200 at the end of last year, according to DSEC data.
