The number of non-resident workers in Macao totalled 182,371 at the end of September, down by 859 people when compared with the month prior, according to official figures from the Labour Affairs Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials DSAL).
August had seen a record number of migrant workers – 183,230 – surpassing the previous record set in August 2020 by almost 520 people.
The construction sector saw by far the biggest month-on-month loss of non-resident workers, also known as blue card holders. There were almost 1,500 fewer blue card holders in the sector in September than in August, though gains in other sectors helped soften the overall reduction.
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The number of non-resident construction workers was at its highest point all year back in March, when 30,348 blue card holders were employed there. September’s tally is the lowest for 2024, at 28,451.
Hospitality remains by far the biggest sector for migrant workers, employing 28.8 percent of them. Construction comes next, employing 15.6 percent. Domestic workers make up 14.7 percent of the non-resident workforce.
September’s figures also showed that mainland Chinese made up 67.1 percent of Macao’s non-resident workers in total, followed by Filipinos at 16.6 percent, then Vietnamese at 4.4 percent.
