Unemployment rate stable at 2 percent in Q1

The general unemployment rate in Macau for the first quarter of 2017 was 2 percent, while median earnings of employed residents
stood at MOP19,000 (about USD2,373), as indicated yesterday by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Meanwhile, the underemployment rate stood at 0.5 percent. All three indicators were stable as in the previous period of December 2016 to February 2017.

DSEC said total labor force stood at 387,500 and the labor force participation rate stood at 71.0 percent. Total employment was 379,500 and employed residents totaled 278,100, up by 400 and 1,000 respectively from the previous period.

The number of unemployed persons stood at 7,900, similar to that of the previous period. Fresh labor force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 9.7 percent of the total number of unemployed persons, up by 1.3 percent.

Total employment dropped by 5,500 quarter-to-quarter, of which the number of employed residents decreased by 300. Analyzed by industry, employment in Restaurants & Similar Activities (22,900) and Construction (35,200) decreased by 4,100 and 2,000 respectively, while employment in Wholesale & Retail Trade (47,400) increased by 1,100.

Median monthly employment earnings remained unchanged from the previous quarter at MOP15,000 (USD1,873) in the first quarter, with those engaging in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction earned MOP20,000 (about USD2,498) and MOP15,000 patacas (about USD1,873) respectively. Moreover, median earnings of employed residents stood at MOP19,000 (about USD2,373), up by MOP1,000 (about USD125) quarter-to-quarter.