Survey shows youth jobs strong, but salary expectations gap remains

[Photo: Yuki Lei]

While a legislator noted that overall employment conditions for young people remain favorable, a recent survey revealed a noteworthy gap between wage levels in the Macau labor market and the salary expectations of young people.

A survey conducted by the Women’s General Association of Macau from October to November last year, targeting young people aged 18 to 45, revealed that Macau’s youth prioritize compensation, work-life balance, and job stability when choosing a career.

Among the 568 respondents, each of these three factors scored above 4.35 points. Additionally, over 50% of respondents identified unmet salary expectations as their primary challenge in seeking their first or next job, followed by intense competition for positions, a lack of relevant work experience and professional skills, and a mismatch with market demands.

The survey findings on motivations for participating in training revealed a “positive” attitude, with 74% of young respondents expressing a willingness to engage in on-the-job training. Their primary motivations included meeting job requirements, achieving promotions and salary increases, and obtaining academic credentials and professional qualifications. Additionally, nearly half of the young respondents prioritized language proficiency as their top choice.

While nearly 50% of young respondents expressed a desire for access to cutting-edge digital skills courses – such as AI and big data – many believe that Macau’s small market lacks large-scale integrated projects to develop advanced skills. The findings also revealed that nearly 40% prefer local in-person courses, while almost 20% favor blended online-offline formats.

Some respondents acknowledged the high time and financial costs associated with obtaining professional certifications, urging the government to prioritize funding for advanced on-the-job training programs and internationally recognized certifications.

They also called for more in-depth internship opportunities related to the four key industries. Notably, respondents emphasized the importance of quality and accessibility in training programs, believing that the government should provide high-quality course resources directly rather than merely offering cash subsidies.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a press conference regarding the survey results, a lawmaker, Loi I Weng, vice president of the association, noted yesterday that despite the current unfavorable socioeconomic environment, “overall youth employment is still considered favorable […] Only a small portion of young people face employment difficulties.”

However, acknowledging the widespread desire among respondents for greater career development opportunities, she urged the government to increase professional training and financial support to help young people reduce training costs and advance their careers. She emphasized that targeted support in skill enhancement and career transitions is particularly crucial for youth facing employment challenges, in order to promote upward mobility.

Moreover, the association urged the government to develop a comprehensive talent development blueprint, particularly for medium-to-long-term talent planning, to align with the emerging industries outlined in its “1+4” development strategy. Citing survey findings, the association emphasized the need for authorities to establish tiered and categorized talent cultivation programs. Building on the existing continuing education development and improvement program, it recommended introducing internationally accredited training courses related to finance, healthcare, and other emerging industries to meet the market demand for high-quality talent.

Additionally, the association called for increasing funding for talent development and certification incentives to at least MOP10,000 to alleviate the financial burden of high training costs that many young people struggle to afford.