Underemployment rises slightly as jobless rates remain stable

Macau’s underemployment rate climbed to 1.5% for both local residents and the overall workforce in September–November 2025, up slightly from the previous period, even as unemployment rates held steady.

Recent data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) show the general underemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points, while the rate for local residents increased by 0.2 percentage points to 2.0%.

Unemployment rates remained unchanged, with the general rate holding at 1.7% and the local residents’ rate steady at 2.3%.

Among the 5,900 underemployed residents recorded during the period, most were employed in real estate and business activities, followed by transport and storage, with retail trade also among the sectors most affected.

During the same period, DSEC noted gains in the labor force. The general labor participation rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 67.2%, while the participation rate for local residents also increased by 0.2 points to 62.2%.

Non-resident workers also factored into the figures. According to DSEC’s preliminary estimates based on movement records, an average of about 109,300 Macau SAR residents and non-resident workers worked in Macau while living outside the territory during the reference period. The total labor force, including these individuals and the 385,600 workers residing in Macau, increased by 2,700 from the previous period to 494,900, the bureau said.

DSEC’s employment survey covers all residential units on the Macau Peninsula, Taipa, and Coloane, excluding dormitories and elderly care homes. NS