Macao’s general unemployment rate for June-August stood at 2.8 per cent, while local residents’ jobless rate amounted to 4.0 per cent, up by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively from the previous survey period (May-July), the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) announced on Friday.
According to a DSEC statement, Macao’s total labour force was 404,000 in June-August, while the labour force participation rate amounted to 70.2 per cent.
While total employment stood at 392,500, the number of employed residents totalled 276,600, down by 2,900 and 1,100 respectively from the previous survey period.
Employment in the gaming, junket and hotel sectors decreased, while restaurants’ number of employees rose.
The number of unemployed rose by 400 to 11,500.
With fresh graduates entering the labour market,the proportion of new labour market entrants looking for their first job rose by 6.8 percentage points to 16.0 percent of the total number of unemployed.
The number of the unemployed population looking for a new job decreased by 500. Most of the unemployed worked previously in the gaming, junket, retail and construction sectors.
Compared with June-August 2019, the unemployment rate increased by 1.0 percentage point, while the labour force participation rate dropped by 0.1 percentage point.
Macao’s economy has been hard hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic since late January, its gaming, retail, tourism and media sectors in particular.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)
PHOTO © Macau Photo Agency
