Unemployment rate remains stable

Both the unemployment rate (1.9 percent) and the underemployment rate (0.5 percent) for January-March 2016 remained stable from the December 2015 to February 2016 period.
According to information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the total labour force was 396,600 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.3 percent. Total employment decreased by 1,400 to 389,000 from December 2015 to February 2016. Analysed by industry, employment declined in hotels and the gambling industries.
The number of unemployed persons was 7,700, up by 300 from December 2015 to February 2016. Fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 6.3 percent of the total unemployed, down by 0.6 percentage points.
Considering the first quarter of 2016, the general unemployment rate (1.9 percent) remained unchanged when compared to the previous quarter. Total employment decreased by 4,100 quarter-to-quarter, with those aged 55-64 falling by 1,200. Analysed by industry, employment in construction (48,200) dropped by 2,900, while that in restaurants (27,700) rose by 1,500.
Median monthly employment earnings of the employed remained stable at MOP15,000 from quarter to quarter, with those engaging in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction earning MOP19,500 and MOP15,000 respectively. Moreover, median earnings of employed residents remained unchanged from the previous quarter, at MOP18,000.