Macao’s general and local unemployment rates remained steady in the February to April period, coming in at 1.9 and 2.5 percent respectively. The former figure is an overall indicator while the latter rate excludes migrant workers.
The figures were unchanged from the January to March period, according to the Statistics and Census Service (known by its Portuguese initials DSEC).
The number of unemployed residents was 7,400. Most jobseekers in this category were previously engaged in the gaming, construction and retail trade sectors. The proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job among unemployed residents held steady at 10.2 percent.
The labour force living in Macao (380,600) and the city’s total number of employed people (373,200) grew by 1,500 and 1,400 respectively from the previous period, with the number of employed residents (281,900) rising by 1,700.
[See more: Macao’s retail sales continue to fall, latest figures show]
Analysed by industry, employed residents in real estate and business activities, and the wholesale and retail trade, saw increases. Those in the gambling sector decreased.
The general and local underemployment rates increased slightly from the previous period, standing at 1.4 and 1.8 percent respectively. Most underemployed residents (5,200, or an increase of 700) were working in the construction sector and retail trade, the DSEC said.
Compared with the same rolling period a month ago, the labour force participation rate of local residents dropped by 0.9 percentage points to 61.4 percent. Both the unemployment and underemployment rates of local residents remained constant year-on-year.
Unemployment for the first quarter of 2025, meanwhile, grew slightly compared with the fourth quarter of 2024 and on a year-on-year basis.
