Lawmaker Ella Lei has called on the Macau government to roll out temporary subsidies for the unemployed and to ensure that priority is given to the employment of local residents.
This comes after an employment survey published by the Statistic and Census Service (DSEC) shows that in the second quarter of 2022, the general employment rate was 3.7% compared to 3.5% in the first quarter.
Lei points out that among the first quarter general employment rate, there are
13,000 people who are unemployed; half have been unemployed for four months or longer after having been laid off.
“Both face-to-face training [held by the Labour Affairs Bureau] with allowances and job [matching] have been suspended due to the pandemic,” Lei recalled, suggesting the government arrange online sessions amid the pandemic.
As for the temporary subsidy plan for local unemployed residents affected most by the pandemic, Lei said, “[we] still receive requests and complaints involving industries that sometimes refuse to hire locals. We urge authorities to implement and supervise the preference of local residents for employment,” Lei added.
A DSEC survey shows that the number of underemployed grew by 3,000 from the previous period to 15,700, as some businesses were suspended or operated on a limited basis. Numbers of the underemployed engaged in gaming and junket activities and retail trade showed notable growth.
From April to June 2022, the unemployment rate of local resident was 4.8%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter.
Total employment decreased by 7,000 quarter-on-quarter, of which the number of employed residents reduced by 3,400. Analysed by industry, employment in gaming and junket activities (69,600) and the construction sector (29,100) dropped by 3,100 and 3,000 respectively quarter-on-quarter, while employment in the education sector (21,400) increased by 2,400.
Staff Reporter
