DSAL rejects claims TNRs are distorting labor market

[Photo: Renato Marques]

Despite accounting for almost 50% of Macau’s total workforce, non-resident workers (TNRs) are not skewing the market, officials from the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said yesterday.

According to DSAL data, at the end of March this year, TNRs accounted for 183,179 workers.

On the topic, DSAL director Chan Un Tong reaffirmed that all TNRs working in Macau are temporary workers and can be replaced at any time by local residents who accept their job posts and duties.

“We have job openings available. Employment for residents is always the government’s priority. DSAL will also monitor job placements. If there is a job that a resident is able and willing to take, priority is given to residents,” the director said, adding that Macau, as a tourist city, faces the challenge of a labor shortage in many fields, particularly in those basic services that require physical labor.

Addressing data showing that, of the over 180,000 TNRs, some 6,255 people have been recruited as specialized workers, Chan noted, “Data also shows that as of the end of March, we have over 6,000 specialized non-resident workers. These specialized workers contribute to Macau’s economic development,” he said, adding, “We [also] still need these non-specialized non-resident workers [148,133] to support our economic development,” Chan said, noting that the majority of the TNRs are typically concentrated in the hotel industry and food service sector.

As he further explained, “We must recognize that we have over 40,000 hotel rooms and numerous food service establishments. That is why, with so many establishments and rooms, we have a great need for non-specialized, non-resident workers, such as hotel housekeepers, door attendants, and waitstaff. The number of these non-specialized non-resident jobs meets the needs of the hotel and restaurant industry.”

The DSAL director also added that, following previous meetings and discussions with the interdepartmental group that addressed the matter, it had already been decided that DSAL will start “cutting” TNR quotas for administrative roles in the financial sector and higher education when performed by non-specialized workers.

“We will reduce their numbers, specifically the unskilled non-resident jobs in these sectors. When reviewing applications for non-resident labor imports, we will take into account Macau’s specific circumstances. We will not blindly cut back on the importation of non-resident labor,” he assured.

Regarding claims that TNRs are imbalancing the market due to lower wages, the official noted that wage levels depend on many factors, including supply and demand, shift work, required educational qualifications, and other conditions.

He remarked that, according to the laws, there is a principle of equality that provides that “If a resident or non-resident worker performs the same duties, they must receive the same salary,” adding that while analyzing requests for labor quotas from companies, DSAL will take into account the data provided by the Statistics and Census Service and other services and business surveys to ensure that there are no applications approved with “unreasonably low wages.”

Chan also mentioned that DSAL is paying close attention to this matter and has seen a notable increase in the average income of domestic workers, as well as other job posts, in Q1 of this year.

“In sectors such as retail, construction, and the hospitality industry, there have been increases of 20%, 15%, and others. We have also been able to demonstrate that there is no competitive relationship between non-resident unskilled workers and resident workers,” he assured once again.

Among the data provided, it was highlighted that among specialized TNRs, the majority (36.21%) work in the education sector, particularly at the tertiary education level.

Regarding the non-specialized TNRs, the largest share (35.85%, or 53,099 workers) performs duties in the hotel industry.