Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the general unemployment rate for June - August 2023 was 2.5% and the unemployment rate of local residents was 3.1%, down by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively from the previous period (May - July 2023). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 1.8%.
The labour force living in Macao totalled 375,300 and the labour force participation rate was 67.9%. Total employment was 366,000 and the number of employed residents totalled 285,100, up by 3,000 and 2,200 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Gaming & Junket Activities increased, while that in Education decreased.
Number of the unemployed dropped by 500 from the previous period to 9,300. Among the unemployed searching for a new job, most of them were previously engaged in the Construction sector, Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities and Gaming & Junket Activities. Meanwhile, with fresh graduates entering the labour market, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job increased by 4.1 percentage points to 12.7% of the total unemployed.
Number of the underemployed rose by 300 from the previous period to 6,700, with the majority working in the Construction sector and the Transport & Storage sector.
In comparison with June - August 2022, the labour force participation rate, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 1.0, 1.8 and 14.7 percentage points respectively.
The Employment Survey covers all residential units in the Macao Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane, excluding collective living quarters such as dormitories and care homes for the elderly. Individuals living in these units are included in the survey, and therefore Macao residents and non-resident workers who work in Macao but live outside the territory are excluded. According to the preliminary estimates from the movement records, an average of about 93,100 Macao residents and non-resident workers worked in Macao but lived outside the territory during the reference period; when including these individuals, total labour force was 468,400, an increase of 4,400 from the previous period.