Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that, after discounting the effect of inflation, the real wage index of construction workers increased by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings went down by 0.2%.
In terms of main occupations, the real wage indices of painters, iron workers, bricklayers & plasterers and fire service mechanics grew by 3.7%, 1.8%, 1.6% and 1.3% respectively quarter-on-quarter, while the indices of welders, structural iron erectors and concrete formwork carpenters fell by 7.5%, 4.6% and 3.5% respectively.
As regards construction materials, the price indices of concrete, timber and steel decreased by 0.7%, 0.5% and 0.1% respectively quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter, while the price indices of sand and aggregate climbed by 0.3% and 0.1% respectively. The average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bar (MOP5,302 per tonne) increased by 0.1% from the previous quarter, whereas that of concrete (MOP1,077 per cubic metre) dropped by 0.6%.