CE reaffirms priority for local employment

Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai has reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting local employment, adding that the city’s workforce and economy are showing strong signs of recovery.

Speaking at a Legislative Assembly session yesterday, where he took questions from lawmakers following his inaugural Policy Address, the city’s top official said Macau’s overall workforce reached approximately 286,000 by the end of 2024, an increase of around 5,000 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

He also noted that the tourism and leisure sectors, key drivers of the local economy, have rebounded to about 90% of their 2019 performance.

Addressing concerns raised by lawmaker Ron Lam regarding the impact of foreign labor on local employment and upward mobility, Sam emphasized that the number of non-resident workers has actually decreased.

“The number of foreign workers last year was 182,542, about 14,000 fewer than in 2019,” he stated. “There has been no significant increase in foreign labor since the pandemic.”

Sam stressed that while the tourism and leisure industries play a vital role in economic development and tax revenue, the policy of prioritizing local workers remains unchanged.

“The importation of foreign employees is only a supplementary measure. If it unreasonably affects the employment of locals, the government will intervene,” he affirmed.

He added that all six major gaming concessionaires are required to promote local staff.

“As of February this year, nearly 90% of mid- and senior-level positions in these companies are held by local employees,” said Sam.