Unemployment rate stable at 1.9 percent

An employee arranges a massage table at the Banyan Tree Macau’s spa

The unemployment rate for October–    December 2015 remained stable from the previous quarter at 1.9 percent; the underemployment rate was 0,5 percent, down by 0.1 percentage point.
According to a Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) statement issued yesterday, the total labor force was 400,600 and its participation rate stood at 73.2 percent. The sum of employment decreased by 300 from September–November 2015, while the industry has seen a decline in construction-
registered employments.
The number of unemployed was recorded to be 7,500 and fresh labor force entrants searching for first jobs accounted for 10.8 percent of the total unemployed, down by 0.9 percentage points.
The general unemployment rate remained unchanged, while the unemployment rate of local residents, which is 2.6 percent, dropped slightly by 0.1 percentage point.
Analyzed by industry, employment in Gaming & Junket Activities (81,300) and Construction (51,100) decreased by 2,900 and 1,800 respectively, while in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities (57,300) employment increased by 2,500.
The bureau says that the median monthly employment earning of the workers employed (MOP15,000) and employed residents (MOP18,000) rose by 12.8 percent and 20 percent respectively year-on-year. As regards to household employment, the average number of employed persons per household was 1.8 in both 2014 and 2015; the median monthly income per household increased by 3.7 percent year-on-­year to MOP28,000.