Employers, job seekers grapple with labor shortage and shift work

Local employment issues are attracting significant attention due to dissatisfaction with the rising number of non-local employees, despite the government’s commitment to prioritizing local residents in hiring.

However, the Times found divergent views among local job seekers and employers.

Concerns are mounting that companies are prioritizing non-local workers over local residents for various jobs, including construction, retail, and clerical positions across multiple industries.

There are claims on social media that non-local workers are being employed as permanent staff, while local residents are relegated to long-term part-time positions, effectively becoming secondary to foreign labor.

Meanwhile, many residents in Macau are experiencing high unemployment and struggling to find full-time work, often resorting to part-time jobs to survive.

Additionally, some lawmakers have noted instances of wage suppression, indicating that local workers may be receiving lower wages than they deserve.

As of May this year, Macau had more than 183,000 non-local workers, with nearly 150,000 of them being non-professional workers – i.e., no bachelor’s degree required.

Given these circumstances, the Times recently spoke with several job seekers about their perceptions of the local employment environment.

One recent graduate, surnamed Un, expressed a lack of confidence in the job market, noting that the growing number of non-local workers in Macau has led many service industry positions to be filled by them, making it challenging for local residents to secure employment.

“While Macau residents also struggle to find jobs, employers tend to prefer blue-card holders due to their lower wages and ability to perform various tasks. In contrast, local residents are less willing to compromise, leading to a shortage of employment opportunities,” she said.

Un graduated this year and aspires to work in new media, but she feels pressure in her job search.

“Although many companies are hiring for this position, there seem to be limited ways to get in,” she added.

The government has repeatedly emphasized that non-local workers are only employed to supplement local labor shortages.

However, this principle does not seem to apply to a 44-year-old woman, surnamed Sou, who worked in a pharmacy.

She shared with the Times that her former boss decided not to renew her contract and instead opted to hire non-local workers, citing the impending closure of the satellite casinos and the ongoing economic downturn as key factors.

Sou expressed uncertainty about the availability of job opportunities but remains determined to search for work.

She stated, “If there’s someone who can hire me, I’ll do it.” Given the current job market challenges, she is open to various roles, specifically mentioning positions such as sales assistant or waitress.

To enhance employment security for local residents, the government established a working group for the coordination of employment promotion over a month ago, aiming to understand the needs of unemployed individuals seeking jobs in three sectors: construction, clerical work, and retail.

Yesterday, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Anton Tai, revealed that the authorities had identified over 1,000 job vacancies and organized job-matching sessions to facilitate employment opportunities.

Hiring based on specific needs

In light of widespread concerns about local employment difficulties, a hotel industry insider shared with the Times in an interview on Wednesday that local workers experience higher turnover rates and frequent job changes compared to their non-local counterparts.

According to him, many local employees seek jobs that allow them weekends off.

However, given that hotels operate 24/7 and require shift work across three labor-intensive departments, this poses significant challenges.

An anonymous industry insider explained, “While cleaning work doesn’t always necessitate overnight shifts, some positions do require night work, and front desk staff must operate in three shifts.” Consequently, the role of non-local workers in Macau’s hotels is becoming increasingly vital.

The industry insider emphasized that as a manager, he has no specific preferences when hiring staff.

“We hire based on ability, regardless of whether they are local or non-local workers,” he stated. “We assign them to suitable positions based on their capabilities. Generally, non-local workers have contracts of at least one year or even two, which contributes to their relative stability.”

He believes that the higher turnover rate among local employees is largely due to their familiarity with the area and the greater number of job opportunities available to them.

“Sometimes, after working for a while, they may realize they don’t like shift work or find the job too physically demanding. The long hours, shift work, and lack of weekends off can lead them to leave or seek other, more suitable jobs,” he told the Times.

He emphasized that salary is no longer a significant factor in the industry when hiring non-local workers, stating, “The salary gap may have been considerable a decade ago, but now the pay disparity has narrowed.” In light of the government’s call for increased local employment, he acknowledged the challenges the industry faces in hiring local employees, noting that it “depends on supply.”

He pointed out that Macau’s small population limits the available workforce, particularly in the hotel industry.

Older workers may struggle with the physical demands of the job, while younger workers are often hesitant to accept the shift work required in this sector. This has resulted in an insufficient labor force to meet the industry’s needs.

The industry insider provided examples to highlight the challenges faced when hiring local staff. “We need a considerable number of housekeeping staff and front desk receptionists.

Front desk receptionists must be younger and proficient in both Chinese and English, along with basic computer skills. Filling these positions, including engineering roles, has consistently been a challenge for us.”

He noted that despite efforts through the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) and job advertisements, the pool of suitable applicants remains extremely limited. Even when some candidates do apply, their qualifications often fail to meet the necessary requirements.

Meanwhile, a human resources professional at a large-scale company stated candidly, “We don’t have complete control over our hiring processes; instead, we focus on candidates based on the specific needs of each department. In other words, we don’t actively seek out labor.”

This HR professional, who requested anonymity, explained to the Times that hiring non-local workers through legal channels involves significantly more complexity and paperwork than hiring local employees.

From an HR’s standpoint, she noted, “I wouldn’t advocate for the company to hire foreign workers […] Non-local workers often fill positions that locals are reluctant to take, such as low-paying or labor-intensive jobs, and we currently have workers for these roles. However, beyond this category, many positions that could be filled by locals are increasingly being occupied by non-local workers.”

In her view, it is reasonable to increase the number of workers within the legal framework. As long as companies adhere to relevant regulations and ensure that workers’ rights are protected, such practices can help businesses meet their operational needs and enhance productivity.

However, from the perspective of a large-scale enterprise, she believes that hiring non-local workers may not be advisable, particularly regarding compliance and legal issues, which necessitate a careful assessment of various risks and costs.

In contrast, small-scale companies may opt to hire more non-local workers due to limited resources or differing levels of emphasis on compliance.