Lawmaker claims excessive TNRs are driving down wages

Lawmaker Leong Sun Iok has accused companies of strategically advertising jobs with low salaries to justify hiring non-local workers (TNRs), thereby suppressing overall industry wages.

In a written inquiry sent to the government via the Legislative Assembly, Leong noted this practice despite the government’s insistence that TNRs should only supplement the local workforce.

In the inquiry, the lawmaker noted that he had learned that several high-end hotel restaurants have been recruiting both full-time and part-time chefs and wait staff. It has been observed that part-time salaries are significantly higher than full-time salaries, which has led many local residents to choose part-time work.

He remarked that this situation has led to speculation, as many local employees in the catering and construction industries complain that non-local workers can secure long-term positions. In contrast, locals often find only part-time or short-term jobs, resulting in insufficient income.

In a document that served as an example, the lawmaker notes that it “specifies that the starting salary for full-time chefs is MOP10,800, while part-time hourly wages are MOP80; for waitstaff, full-time salaries are MOP8,500, and part-time hourly wages are also MOP80.” Concerns have been raised that some companies might be using the data of local part-time employees to secure quotas for TNRs.

Leong urged the authorities to enhance oversight, ensuring that companies hiring non-local workers prioritize the full-time employment and stability of local employees.

In his inquiry, the legislator also pointed out that some companies use the excuse of “unable to hire local workers” to apply for non-local worker quotas, ultimately lowering overall industry wages.

This issue is especially evident in the catering industry, where a long-term dependence on non-local workers has kept wages artificially low, making it hard to attract new talent. He called on the government to monitor the reasonableness of local hiring wages during the approval process for non-local workers to prevent wage suppression.

Mainland workforce accounts for the majority

According to data from the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC), the median monthly income for local employed residents there for the first quarter of 2025 was MOP21,500, reflecting an increase of MOP1,000 from the previous quarter. This figure represents the distribution of double salaries and bonuses in specific industries during that period.

In comparison, the median monthly income for the total employed population, including both local and non-local residents, was MOP18,800.

According to employment surveys, official data show that the labor force in Macau from February to April this year numbered 380,600 people, with 281,900 being local residents employed. According to the DSEC annual report, the number of mainland residents working in Macau at the end of 2024 reached 121,163, an increase from 121,034 in 2023 and 108,309 in 2022, making them the largest group of non-local workers in Macau. Filipino workers ranked second, but far behind the mainland workers’ figure, with a total of 30,912 by the end of 2024.

Meanwhile, other lawmakers have also voiced concerns about the employment situation for university graduates and in response to a written inquiry from lawmaker Lei Chan U, Kong Chi Meng, the director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, announced that the government has initiated a survey to gather information about the employment status of graduates from tertiary education institutions, including those who studied at local and international universities. The survey results are expected to be released later this year.