The government is considering raising Macao’s minimum wage to up to 37 patacas (US$4.62) an hour, drawing support from unions but fierce opposition from employers, multiple media outlets report.
Director of the Labour Affairs Bureau Chan Un Tong said the government aimed to gather written feedback from labour and employer groups within the next week, and implement the new wage floor on 1 January 2026.
At a meeting of the Standing Committee for Social Coordination held yesterday, officials from the bureau said that data covering the November 2022 to October 2024 period indicated there was room to increase the hourly rate from the current 34 patacas (US$4.24) to a figure between 35 (US$4.37) and 37 patacas.
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Union representatives welcomed the suggested increase, arguing that raising the rate to 37 patacas was essential to protect the earnings of low-wage workers. They also urged the government to speed up the review process to ensure wage adjustments reflect real economic conditions.
Employers, however, are pushing back. Vong Kok Seng, vice chairman of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, warned that a wage hike would add pressure to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) already struggling with weak consumer spending, high rents and limited access to bank loans. He called for wages in Macao to be determined by market forces rather than legislation, and said the government should be offering more supportive measures for the city’s struggling SMEs.
The last adjustment to Macao’s minimum wage came in January 2024, when it rose by 2 patacas per hour. If approved, the next increase would mark the third revision since Law No. 5/2020 Minimum Wage for Employees came into force in November 2020.
