Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the general unemployment rate (1.9%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.5%) for February - April 2025 remained the same as in the previous period (January - March 2025).
The labour force living in Macao (380,600) and total employment (373,200) grew by 1,500 and 1,400 respectively from the previous period, and the number of employed residents (281,900) rose by 1,700. Analysed by industry, employed residents in Real Estate & Business Activities and Wholesale & Retail Trade increased, while that in the Gaming sector decreased.
Number of unemployed residents was 7,400. Among the unemployed residents searching for a new job, most of them were previously engaged in the Gaming sector, the Construction sector and Retail Trade. Meanwhile, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job among the unemployed residents held steady at 10.2%.
The general underemployment rate (1.4%) and the underemployment rate of local residents (1.8%) each rebounded by 0.2 percentage points from the previous period. Number of underemployed residents (5,200) increased by 700, and the majority of them were working in the Construction sector and Retail Trade.
In comparison with February - April 2024, the labour force participation rate of local residents (61.4%) dropped by 0.9 percentage points, while both the unemployment rate of local residents (2.5%) and the underemployment rate of local residents (1.8%) remained constant.
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 106,300 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 (approx. 486,800) increased by 2,400 from the previous period.