Labor bureau assures supervision on non-local workforce size

Lawmaker Ron Lam was assured by the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) that it would closely monitor the size of non-local workforce and prioritize jobs for local residents.

Signed by the bureau’s director, Wong Chi Hong, the reply to the lawmaker’s inquiry emphasized that the bureau has been closely complying with the government’s policy of considering non-local workforce “of a provisional and supplementary nature.”

Wong added that “under all circumstances, [employers] should hire local residents for positions desired by and fit for local residents.”

Recapping job-matching data from two years ago, the bureau director explained that the DSAL had streamlined the procedure of job-matching and eventually migrated the service online.

From September 2020 to March 2022, the Subsidized Training Program has trained 8,592 people, of which 1,466 people managed to gain employment, equating to about 17% of those who completed the program.

In his inquiry, Lam asked the government about actual policies that it would implement to secure employment for local residents, such as requesting gambling concessionaires to cut non-local workforce and hire local residents as replacements. He also voiced doubt over the effectiveness of entrepreneurial financial support.

In response to this, Wong reiterated the series of measures the government had implemented to try and support local business operators. These measures were in fact the entrepreneurial financial support mentioned in Lam’s inquiry.

As for Lam’s question on gambling concessionaires’ efforts in hiring local people, Wong explained that his bureau approves or declines applications for non-local workers following consideration of several factors, such as the economic circumstances and prospects, the scale of the concerned industries and enterprises, the demand-supply situation in the labor market, as well as the number of locals employed by the enterprises.

Wong added that the DSAL has regularly referred local job-seekers to enterprises with non-local employees to encourage the companies to hire local residents who are qualified for the job vacancies.

This act, Wong elaborated, did not concern only the six gambling concessionaires but all enterprises in similar circumstances.

Another question Lam asked was if the government had plans to use its fiscal reserves to set the foundation for improved development in the future.

On this, while citing comments from the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM), Wong noted that measures amounting to a value of MOP100 billion are in effect. Meanwhile, the AMCM is supportive of the local banking sector offering more loans to the business sector amid a general economic downturn.