A recent survey from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) found that, in the three month period of May to July this year, there was a registered drop of 3,000 workers in the total Macau labor force from the previous period (April to June).
According to DSEC, of the 3,000, 1,400 were resident workers who lost or quit their jobs within the period.
During the May-July period, the labor force living in Macau totaled 383,900, with a labor force participation rate of 67.9%, 2.6% less than in the previous quarter.
Total employment recorded was 372,900 workers, with residents accounting for 275,000 of the total.
Survey data analyzed by industry also revealed that employment levels in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities and the Transport & Storage sector accounted for the drop, while a slight recovery was observable only in the Gaming & Junket Activities sector.
In this period, the general unemployment rate remained steady at 2.9%, while the unemployment among residents also held at 3.9%.
Both figures remain generally consistent with the previous period, as did the underemployment rate, which stands at 3.5%.
All indicators recorded a slight increase of 0.2% compared to the previous period.
The number of unemployed fell slightly by 100 from the previous period to 11,000. Among unemployed jobseekers, most were previously engaged in Gaming & Junket Activities or in the Construction sector.
Meanwhile, fresh graduates entering the labor market increased by 1.7%, representing 9.2% of the total unemployed at the end of July.
Subtle signs of recovery could be found only in the Gaming & Junket Activities and in the Construction sector, which saw the number of underemployed workers decreasing by 200 from the previous period to 13,400.
Nevertheless, the marginal difference does not greatly alter the general unemployment rate.
The DSEC Employment Survey covers all residential units in the Peninsula, Taipa, and Coloane, excluding collective living quarters such as dormitories and care homes for the elderly.
The survey excludes both the residents and non-resident workers working in Macau but living outside the region.
Based on the border movement records, an average of about 83,000 residents and non-resident workers worked in Macau but lived outside the territory during the period in question.
If included, these workers increase the total labor force to 466,900 between May and July, 4,400 less than the previous period.
DSAL claims reemployment of 2,500
In a separate report, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) claimed to have helped around 2,500 residents find new jobs over the first eight months of this year.
According to data released by DSAL, 2,091 people have been hired through both regular and pandemic-specific measures that promoted job-matching sessions and contacts.
Regarding the regular employment services, in the period between January 1 and August 20, a total of 7,470 people were referred on by the DSAL and attended job interviews, of which 1,767 were hired.
Those hired were mainly people looking for jobs in the civil construction sector (793 people), security and cleaning services (249 people), and retail (153 people) — 68% of the total referrals.
Regarding the specific measures and services enforced due to the pandemic, 24 specific job matching sessions were organized for different sectors and professions. These sectors include: security and property management, restaurants, retail, and hotel industry, among others. A total of 619 people attended the interviews, of which over half (324 people) were hired. The sectors in which staff were successfully hired were retail (120 people), security and property administration (80 people), catering (72 people), hotel industry (49 people), and nursing (3 people).
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