The Macau Construction Association (MCA) held a forum last week to discuss the current human resources situation in Macau’s construction industry, as well as to consider the predictions that may indicate what sort of employees the industry needs. The absence of young employees was one of the topics addressed during the talks.
Currently, according to research conducted by the MCA and the Macau Economic Association, the construction industry employs more than 50,000 workers, of which over 10,000 are local workers.
Statistics from the Human Resources Office (GRH) show that, to the end of last September, there were 45,509 non-residents (39,777 mainlanders) working in the construction sector. Consequently, local residents have been afraid of losing their jobs due to the flow of workers coming from other regions looking for opportunities in Macau.
“Several projects are ongoing, such as public housing, the light rail, and renewals of old buildings. A few gaming properties are expected to be finished before 2019. There are plenty of jobs,” said Joey Lao, chairman of the Macau Economic Association.
Guests who attended the forum affirmed that the industry will always have positions available for construction workers. Moreover, non-
local employees will be the first to leave the labor market. It is expected that the current economic situation will not cause serious troubles for local residents.
“Companies will prioritize the hiring of local workers, and once the economy deteriorates, non-local employees will be out of the labor market first,” said Lao.
As indicated by an MCA study, the average age of the construction workforce is 44, and workers older than 45 represent 49.9 percent of the whole sector. Construction companies face difficulties attracting college graduates. Several guests said that “fresh graduates avoid the construction industry because of its ‘3D’ disadvantages: demanding, dangerous, and dirty.”
In addition, the salary, work environment and satisfaction are considered unattractive by young people.
It was also mentioned that the Hong Kong government has reportedly been doing a very good job attracting the young generation to work in the construction industry. It has introduced measures to improve both the security and safety of the construction sites. Lawmaker Mak Soi Kun suggested that “the government should learn from Hong Kong.”
Over the past ten years, the rapid expansion of the construction sector exacerbated the need for more workers and management experts. However, local workers lack training in professional construction services. Still, the salary of a local worker increased 73.5 percent during the past five years from MOP539 per day to MOP935.
According to the MCA survey, among the 62 construction enterprises that were interviewed, 45 of them (72.6 percent) are planning on recruiting more people, with 41.9 percent hoping to hire foreign workers. Machinery operators and heavy-vehicle drivers are among the most-needed jobs. Staff reporter
It will be extremely difficult to attract college graduates to work in this industry even with the suggested improvements. Graduates will always have potential jobs in the hospitality and gaming industries. And even if some decide to work in the construction industry, they will need to acquire the suitable attitudes, skills, knowledge, habits and commitment to stay around. Thus, qualified non-residents besides those from the mainland have to be given more space in this arena.