DSAL vows to phase out non-resident workers from labor market

To enhance employment security for local residents, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has committed to continuing the collection of job vacancy data across various industries and will, at an appropriate time, begin phasing out approximately 183,000 non-resident workers from Macau’s labor market.

On May 28, Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai issued an executive order to establish a task force for employment promotion coordination, led by Secretary for Economy and Finance Anton Tai Kin Ip.

During its first meeting this week, Tai emphasized, as noted in his office’s statement, that promoting employment is a key priority for Macau’s economic efforts.

Tai reaffirmed the task force’s commitment to conducting in-depth analyses of local labor market conditions, assessing human resource trends, and promptly adjusting policies in response to changes in the employment market.

He emphasized to task force members the importance of fully communicating information on local labor supply and demand, compiling vacancy data promptly, and conducting job-matching activities.

The Secretary also clarified that the task force’s work includes specifying in tender documents the requirement to prioritize hiring local employees during public procurement procedures to enhance employment opportunities for local residents.

In an interview with public broadcaster TDM, Chan Un Tong, director of the DSAL and a member of the task force, noted that there are approximately 183,000 non-resident workers in Macau, with most employed in the hotel and catering industry, followed by the construction sector.

Among them, the number of non-resident employees in the hotel and catering industry meets the reception capacity required for Macau’s development as a tourist city.

In the construction industry, the government has previously announced that bidding documents for public works projects will specify a preference for hiring local employees.

Chan cited data indicating that most local construction workers are engaged in renovation tasks such as carpentry, painting and plastering, while fewer locals are involved in more physically demanding basic construction work like pile driving, steel fixing and formwork.

According to him, the authorities have gathered data on more than 300 job vacancies from various enterprises and industries, including integrated resorts, to facilitate the entry of more local individuals into the workforce.

If local people can fill these positions, arrangements will be made for non-resident employees to leave at an appropriate time.

Among the 4,000 individuals currently registered as job seekers with the DSAL, half are looking for jobs specifically in clerical, retail and construction areas, he added.

The authorities are taking several steps to prioritize local residents and ensure sustained employment, including co-hosting a job fair for graduates next month, organizing at least three weekly job-matching events focused on specific industries, and holding one monthly event with leisure businesses to connect job seekers with potential employers.

Additionally, they are developing a vocational training platform that offers customized training to enhance office job seekers’ skills in areas such as artificial intelligence and business English, while also improving retail job seekers’ abilities in live-streaming sales and e-commerce.

In response to legislator Ron Lam’s inquiries about setting clear quotas for non-resident workers and specific industry ratios, the DSAL stated that Macau is not suitable for fixed ratios or restrictions on the number of foreign workers in different sectors.

It went on to emphasize the importance of moderately importing non-resident workers to support business operations and ensure sustainable socio-economic development, especially for jobs that require high-intensity labor, involve shift work or have a shortage of local candidates.