Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 1.3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP636 in the fourth quarter of 2013, in which the average daily wage of local construction workers amounted to MOP804, up by 3.6%. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers was MOP642, an increase of 1.1% quarter-to-quarter, and that of unskilled workers was MOP358, down by 4.5%. Analysed by occupation, average daily wage of electricians & electrical workers and scaffolders was MOP697 and MOP670 respectively, up by 13.5% and 6.7% quarter-to-quarter; however, average daily wage of iron workers decreased by 6.2% to MOP640. After discounting the effect of inflation, in the fourth quarter of 2013, wage index of construction workers (90.3) edged up by 0.4% quarter-to-quarter in real terms, on account of rising wage indices of electricians & electrical workers (+12.2%) and bricklayers & plasterers (+4.0%); meanwhile, wage index of fire service mechanics and carpenters dropped by 7.1% and 5.7% respectively. Moreover, wage index of local construction workers (110.7) increased by 2.9% quarter-to-quarter in real terms. For the whole year of 2013, the average wage index of construction workers (89.2) rose by 0.9% year-on-year in real terms, and that of local construction workers (105.5) increased by 5.6%. As regards construction materials, average price of concrete held stable as the previous quarter, at MOP586 per cubic metre in the fourth quarter of 2013; average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars increased by 1.8%, at MOP5,074 per tonne. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings (124.0) in the fourth quarter of 2013 increased slightly by 0.3% quarter-to-quarter; the average index for 2013 (122.1) rose by 1.7% year-on-year.
