Ron lam wants to cut TNRs in the ‘big six’ and restrict imports in several sectors

Lawmaker Ron Lam has urged the government to enforce cuts to the number of non-resident workers (TNRs) employed by the six gaming concessionaires.

In a spoken inquiry delivered at the Legislative Assembly (AL) on Monday before the agenda, Lam noted that, contrary to claims of limited job availability to explain difficulties in providing jobs for unemployed residents, official March statistics reveal nearly 33,000 TNRs are employed by the six gaming concessionaires.

A comparison between the end of 2024 and the end of 2022 shows a 73% increase in this worker category. In the same period, local hiring rose by only 3%.

Lam pointed out these figures show that despite organizing many job fairs and matching sessions, efforts have failed to help locals find jobs.

The lawmaker remarked that between September 2024 and March 2025, TNRs in gaming grew by 1,812, while Macau’s overall TNR population rose by only 997 – suggesting cuts in other sectors, notably SMEs, as gaming absorbed more workers.

Public voices have criticized some gaming operators and major corporations for abusing TNR quotas, alleging these companies avoid hiring full-time locals by outsourcing to intermediary firms that employ locals part-time.

Using official data, Lam noted one human resources company employed 3,030 local part-timers until the end of last year.

“This demonstrates it is irrefutable that local workers are hired part-time to compensate for TNR shortages in several sectors,” Lam said, noting this clashes with rules stating TNR hiring is allowed only to meet needs in positions Macau lacks local workers for.

For these reasons, Lam wants the government to enforce quota reductions and restrict TNR hiring in multiple sectors. He cited the recent case of the lottery and betting operator, “Macau SLOT,” where the government agreed to cut TNR quotas by 15%, starting with a 35% reduction in unskilled TNRs by the end of Q1 next year (about 26 positions), with gradual expansion of these cuts.

TNRs currently comprise roughly 30% of gaming employees, with one operator nearing 34%.

Lam proposes applying similar quota reductions across all six gaming concessionaires to halve the 33,000 TNRs, creating more local employment opportunities. He also calls for restrictions on TNR imports in banking, healthcare, IT, and other major sectors where locals are available and qualified.

Last week, lawmaker Ella Lei similarly urged the AL to reduce TNRs in banking and finance.

“More than 900 TNRs work in finance alone, so authorities should further reduce quotas there,” she said, emphasizing that 200 recent job vacancies in the sector should be fully filled by locals.

Closure of satellite casinos adds to employment concerns

Lam also warned that the 11 satellite casinos set to close by year-end will worsen unemployment and job insecurity.

“The government instructed the three main gaming concessionaires to absorb and retain 4,800 staff assigned by satellite operators,” he said. “However, about 800 local workers hired directly by satellite casino owners must be handled by those owners, with job-matching sessions arranged.”

“There’s a noticeable lack of concrete support for nearby businesses and workers affected by these closures. The government has only committed to holding intellectual property-themed events in the ZAPE area for a few months. This limited action raises concerns about rising unemployment and economic downturn later this year,” he added.

Job matching sessions show poor results

Lam criticized government job matching sessions and “hiring + training” initiatives in partnership with gaming operators, saying applicants report poor outcomes.

Employers allegedly do not intend to hire and use procedural obstacles to avoid interviews.

“Some use job fairs to justify requests for foreign workers. Residents were told they were ‘unfit’ before interviews, recorded as ‘interview failed,’ raising suspicion that fairs are misused,” Lam said.

He also cited unfair dismissals of local gaming employees and youth trainees fired before probation ended. These issues cast doubt on gaming operators’ ability to absorb over 5,000 displaced satellite casino workers or alleviate an expected unemployment wave.