Over 3,700 locals employed as non-local worker cap remains strict

The principle that non-resident workers are only a temporary supplement to local manpower shortages “has never changed,” authorities reaffirmed, adding that over 3,700 locals had been hired as of April through a series of job-matching and support measures.

Lo Chi Fai, head of the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, asserted during a Legislative Assembly session on Tuesday that any encroachment on local residents’ employment opportunities and labor rights resulting from the recruitment of non-resident workers is absolutely impermissible.

Authorities further observed that the implementation of “1+4” key industry projects has contributed to the expansion of local employment. According to the Macau Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), of the 93 investment projects it advanced during the first four months of this year, over 60% were classified as “1+4” industry projects, generating 591 jobs.

Statistics from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicate that the local unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage points year over year to 2.3% during the February-April period this year. The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) director, Chan Un Tong, further noted that more than 10,000 locals were successfully matched with employment last year, with about 77% of those placed retaining their jobs.

Non-resident worker permits are only adjusted when suitable local workers are available, authorities told lawmakers reviewing the Law on the Employment of Non-Resident Workers.

The DSAL bases decisions on economic conditions, labor market dynamics and enterprise-specific factors, they added.

Meanwhile, authorities revealed that new forms of illegal work have emerged, primarily involving job recruitment through online platforms such as RedNote, Douyin and WeChat, which “have a certain degree of concealment.”

Authorities have established multiple reporting channels to facilitate public reporting of illegal work, while police have committed to focusing on development trends in popular industries and job types, using more scientific methods to enhance enforcement effectiveness.