Unemployment rate holding steady, underemployment reducing

The unemployment rate in Macau has held steady in the period of March to May when compared with February to April, information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) has indicated.

According to a DSEC release, the general unemployment rate stood at 2.8%, while the unemployment rate of local residents stood at 3.6%.

In the same period, the underemployment rate dropped 0.3% to 1.8% as a result of 1,100 people in such a situation.

Currently, there are still some 6,800 people recorded as being in a situation of underemployment, with the majority coming from sectors such as Construction and Transport & Storage.

The labor force living in Macau totaled 369,800, with a labor force participation rate of 67.5%. Total employment was 359,300, of which 281,200 were residents. In comparison with the last period, both the total employment and the employment residents’ figures were down by 1,400 and 1,000 people, respectively.

Analyzed by industry, employment in the Construction sector and Wholesale & Retail Trade decreased, while that in Gaming & Junket Activities increased.

Among the 10,500 unemployed searching for a new job, most were previously engaged in the Construction sector and Gaming & Junket Activities.

Meanwhile, the proportion of new labor market entrants seeking their first job increased by 0.7% to 4.6% of the total unemployed.

The Employment Survey covers all residential units in the Macau Peninsula, Taipa, and Coloane, excluding collective living quarters such as dormitories and care homes for the elderly. Individuals living in these units are included in the survey, and therefore Macau residents and non-resident workers who work in Macau but live outside the territory are excluded.

According to the preliminary estimates from the movement records, an average of about 88,300 local residents and non-resident workers lived outside the territory during the reference period.