The salaries of 61.5 percent of Macao workers remained unchanged between 2024 and 2025, according to a 2025 employment survey jointly carried out by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions and the Macau Economic Association.
Featuring roughly 2,000 local participants aged 16 and above, the year-long study also found that 11.2 percent of those surveyed experienced a wage decrease in comparison to the previous year.
At a press conference yesterday, the researchers pointed out that these results reflected the uneven wage adjustments across the SAR’s various sectors.
Meanwhile, many survey takers voiced concern over their labour rights and protections. For instance, around 63 percent of respondents said they believed the government’s current policy on the hiring of overseas workers lacked a preferential mechanism for the employment of locals.
As well, 60 percent of respondents voiced concern over the lower wages of foreign workers, which they believe would create unfair competition.
To safeguard local employment and further optimise the system for the hiring of overseas staff, the deputy director-general of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Leong Sun Iok, suggested the authorities set up a reasonable salary threshold when approving the applications of non-local employees.
Leong said the government should reject foreign worker applications if their salaries clearly fall under the standard pay range within the relevant industry.
[See more: Macao unemployment falls to 1.7 percent in latest survey]
The study also suggested that residents were growing increasingly aware of the issue of illegal workers, as the average score that participants gave for the severity of this problem jumped by 12 percent, from 3.11 points in 2024 to 3.47 points in 2025.
According to the deputy director of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Kong Hin Man, the authorities could address illegal employment by raising the legal repercussions for those who engage in the practice and strengthening the legal accountability of employers.
In addition, the survey cast a spotlight on working hours and stress in the workplace, with Kong stating that some 64 percent of participants said they only had 1 to 1.5 days of rest per week.
Kong urged the government to clearly define the right to disconnect and require the relevant industries to set up compensation or shift work mechanisms that safeguard the non-working hours of employees and allow for a work-life balance.
At the same time, the union representative called on the authorities to provide training and subsidies for workers, reduce overtime work, as well as promote the digitisation of businesses and encourage firms to adopt advanced techniques.
