AL committee: Data on unemployment rate ‘lagging’

The government will be invited to meet with members of a parliamentary committee on resolving the intensifying unemployment issue in the city.

Since the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were first felt in Macau, leading to rising border restrictions and making global travel difficult, a chronic economic downturn has gripped the city. Furloughs and dismissals have left many local residents unemployed or underemployed.

It is undeniable that the current situation has left some locals unable to pay their monthly bills and other necessary costs. Some have picked up motorbikes to work in the food delivery industry.

Committee president Zheng Anting admitted that the current data on the unemployment rate is lagging, and does not sufficiently reflect the overall situation of society. Some unemployed people have not registered with the government, while others work on a part-time basis but do not earn enough to cover family expenses.

Zheng announced that the committee therefore hopes to hold a meeting with the government to discuss specific measures the government can take to help residents find employment.

The unemployment rate of local residents has risen by 0.2% to 4.5%, and about 13,000 people are unemployed, according to the latest statistics released by the government. The figures cover January to March this year.

The underemployment rate dropped by 0.1%, indicating that some previously underemployed workers might have eventually lost their jobs. The closure of nearly all junket operators in Macau has also released a significant number of workers into the employment market.

In addition, as fresh graduates are about to enter the workplace and satellite casinos are closing one after another, pressures on the local employment market will likely intensify.

Unemployment affects residents’ emotional and psychological wellbeing, as well as their family’s economic situation.