Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 1.7% quarter-to-quarter to MOP597 in the first quarter of 2013, and that of local construction workers increased by 1.6% to MOP699. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers (MOP604) rose by 1.5% quarter-to-quarter, but that of unskilled workers (MOP368) dropped by 2.1%. Analysed by occupation, the average daily wages of electricians & electrical workers (MOP613) and concrete formwork carpenters (MOP603) increased by 5.0% and 1.3% respectively, but that of painters (MOP522) fell by 10.5%. After discounting the effect of inflation, wage index of construction workers was 89.0 in real terms in the first quarter of 2013, down by 1.3% quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, wage index of local construction workers fell by 0.7% to 100.5 in real terms, on account of falling wage indices of painters and bricklayers & plasterers. As regards construction materials, in the first quarter of 2013, the average price of concrete (MOP489 per cubic metre) increased further by 3.6% quarter-to-quarter, while that of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars (MOP5,290 per tonne) declined moderately by 1.8%. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings was 119.9 in the first quarter of 2013, down slightly by 0.2% quarter-to-quarter.
