Youth unemployment remains challenge despite stable overall jobless rate, lawmaker says

Statistics show that unemployment among young people aged 34 and under remains particularly pronounced in Macau, with lawmaker Leong Sun Iok pointing out that while the overall unemployment rate is relatively stable, it fails to reflect the serious structural challenges and poor job quality facing young job seekers.

“The difficulties faced by young people are largely structural and rooted in poor job quality,” Leong said, noting that many fail to secure jobs even after interviews due to a lack of market information, limited skills, and employer concerns about inexperience. Data shows that approximately 2,300 young people aged 25 to 34 were unemployed last year – a figure that continues to rise.

According to available data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the unemployment rate for local residents stood at 2.1% between January and March this year, indicating an active job market with continued recruitment demand across various sectors.

The government has been using its Employment Promotion Coordination Working Group to promote job positions better suited for local residents and young people, encouraging companies to hire locals and giving youth priority employment opportunities.

Citing the recent banking industry job fair as an example, Leong noted in a recent phone interview with the Times that, with government policy support, the banking sector offered targeted positions with “acquirable or supplementable” experience requirements, enhancing fresh graduates’ chances of securing interviews and job offers. This year’s banking job fair attracted many well-prepared young applicants, demonstrating that such matching initiatives are effective.

However, Leong pointed to the International Labour Organization’s “2026 Employment Trends Report,” which notes that youth employment remains a major global issue and that information technology developments will continue to impact employment. With thousands of graduates entering the market each year, Leong said that both structural and frictional unemployment require better pre-employment support and training to prevent young people from discovering unsuitable career paths after joining the workforce – wasting both social resources and personal time.

Regarding those who leave their jobs shortly after being hired, Leong suggested authorities could track workplace difficulties and reasons for resignation, using data analysis to strengthen targeted pre-employment counseling.

Leong emphasized that the core issue is job quality. “Macau’s economy is dominated by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Finding a job is not difficult, but finding a good job is relatively hard,” he said. Improving job quality requires more opportunities that support high-end skills. The main challenges for youth employment, he added, include choosing the right career path while adapting to work demands. At the same time, companies need to invest in training to help young people gradually grow in the workplace. Employment is not solely the responsibility of the government or businesses – it requires joint efforts from all sectors of society.

The lawmaker further noted that due to a lack of work experience, starting salaries for young people are often less than ideal, and it takes time to accumulate seniority before wages rise. He encouraged young people to persevere. While there are many job opportunities in Macau, finding a high-paying job is not easy and requires personal effort. He called for joint efforts from the government, businesses, and employees.

Suggestions were also made to review the non-local worker mechanism to prevent excessively low-cost hiring of non-local workers from displacing local labor opportunities.