Association data shows significant increase in gaming employees facing pressure

There has been a significant increase in gaming employees seeking assistance due to work pressures, said lawmaker Leong Sun Iok.

Data from the Macau Gaming Industry Employees Home indicates that the high employee turnover rate is the key factor, as cited in a TDM report.

The current number of employees in gaming operations is about 60,000, about 20,000 fewer than the over 80,000 employed before the pandemic.

However, with the gradual recovery of tourism and the shift of business to the mass market, the demand for services is greater.

Therefore, the lawmaker, who is also the union president, has called on gaming companies to hire more employees and, if conditions permit, re-hire employees over 60 years old to bolster the existing workforce.

The casino industry had expected staff shortages once the economy returned to normal, and operators should have a clear plan for reemploying staff.

In mid-2020, integrated resorts did not renew the contracts of most non-resident workers, particularly those in the service industry, as casinos bled cash due to strict Covid-19 restrictions.

The number of non-resident workers in Macau declined to 154,912 in 2022, the lowest since 2013.

Data from the DSAL in late 2022 noted that non-resident workers employed by the six gaming operators declined by 47.5% between January 2020 and October 2022.

40,000 non-resident workers left Macau either because of the lack of jobs or because of the government’s decision not to renew the workers’ permits to prioritize local residents’ access to jobs during times of high unemployment. LV