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According to the results of the Employment Survey released by the Statistics and Census Service, unemployment rate for August - October 2006 was 3.6%, which fell by 0.2 percentage point over July - September 2006, and 0.5 percentage point over the same period of 2005. The underemployment rate was 0.9%, down by 0.1 and 0.6 percentage point over the preceding period and the same period of 2005 respectively. About 1,400 unemployed persons were searching for their first job, representing 13.7% of the total unemployed population, up by 0.2 percentage point over the preceding period. Compared with the previous period, the unemployment situation continued to improve in Hotels, restaurants & similar activities, and Real estate, renting & business activities, while that in the Wholesale & retail trade and Recreational, cultural, gaming & other services also showed improvement; however, the situation was less favourable in the Manufacturing sector. Total labour force was estimated at 284,000 in August - October 2006, of which the employed and the unemployed populations were 274,000 and 10,000 respectively. Labour force participation rate was 66.2%, up by 0.3 and 2.6 percentage points over July - September 2006 and the same period of 2005 respectively.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that inward foreign direct investment to Macao reached MOP 10.59 billion in 2005, of which investments from Hong Kong, the United States and Mainland China accounted for MOP 4.56 billion, MOP 4.41 billion and MOP 440 million respectively. In addition, outward direct investment made by Macao enterprises was MOP 380 million, resulting in a net inflow of foreign direct investment to Macao, at MOP 10.22 billion in 2005. At the end of 2005, stock of inward foreign direct investment to Macao amounted to MOP 41.37 billion, which soared by MOP 10.20 billion from 2004. Stock of outward direct investment made by Macao enterprises increased by MOP 230 million over 2004 to MOP 3.58 billion. In terms of industry, stock of foreign direct investment to Macao was mainly invested in Cultural, Recreational, Gaming & Other Services, with MOP 25.60 billion, up by MOP 7.37 billion over 2004; followed by the Financial sector (MOP 8.31 billion), Industrial Production (MOP 2.87 billion) and Hotels & Restaurants (MOP 2.24 billion), which registered increases of MOP 1.24 billion, MOP 28 million and MOP 870 million respectively compared with 2004. Analyzed by investors’ place of usual residence, the majority of Macao’s foreign direct investors were from Hong Kong; their stock of direct investment grew by MOP 5.41 billion to MOP 25.44 billion in 2005. This was followed by those from the United States and Mainland China, with MOP 7.43 billion and MOP 3.91 billion, up by MOP 4.39 billion and MOP 200 million respectively over 2004. In 2005, income earned from inward foreign direct investment totalled MOP 11.28 billion, a significant increase of MOP 4.06 billion over 2004. Meanwhile, income earned from outward direct investment made by Macao enterprises amounted to MOP 240 million. Direct Investment Statistics include information on the main industries of Macao, namely Industrial Production; Construction; Wholesale & Retail; Hotels & Restaurants; Transport, Storage & Communications; Financial Services; and Cultural, Recreational, Gaming & Other Services. Altogether, there were 1,314 foreign direct investment enterprises in 2005, among which 1,267 engaged in the Non-financial sector and 47 enterprises were in the Financial sector.
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According to the information released by the Statistics and Census Service, resident population of Macao was estimated at 508,000 as at 30 September 2006, a year-on-year increase of about 26,000. In the third quarter of 2006, there were 1,034 cases of live birth, up by 11.1% over the previous quarter, among which 54.4% were male. Number of mortality cases reported was 381, of which the major causes were “Malignant neoplasms” and “Diseases of the circulatory system”. In addition, the Health Bureau received 635 cases of Notifiable diseases in this quarter, including 316 cases of “Varicella (chickenpox)”, 107 cases of “Enterovirus infection” and 103 cases of “Tuberculosis of lung”. Meanwhile, 402 cases of marriage were registered, down by 18.5% compared with the second quarter of 2006. Regarding the migratory flow, number of legal immigrants from Mainland China totalled 481 in the third quarter of 2006, a decrease of 49.2% compared with the previous quarter; besides, 288 illegal immigrants were repatriated. The end-period balance of non-resident workers in the third quarter was 56,553, up 6,306 persons over the previous quarter.
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Information from Statistics and Census Service indicated that in light of the benefits brought by the National Day holidays, the total number of visitor arrivals reached 1,989,828 in October 2006, another all-time record registered in a single month, representing a year-on-year increase of 19.6%. Visitors from Mainland China and Hong Kong grew 10.3% and 36.7% respectively, while those from Taiwan, China dropped slightly by 1.1%. Meanwhile, same-day visitors accounted for 51.5% of the total arrivals, at 1,024,190. Visitors came mainly from Mainland China (53.4% of the total), Hong Kong (32.2%) and Taiwan, China (6.4%). Among those from Mainland China, 515,673 (48.6%) travelled to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme. In the first ten months of 2006, visitor arrivals totalled 17,885,622, a 15.9% growth over the same period of last year. Visitors from Mainland China rose 13.6% to 9,773,828, which accounted for 54.6% of the total arrivals; those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, China shared 31.5% and 6.7% respectively. Furthermore, same-day visitors made up 51.6% of the total, at 9,234,055. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea increased 13.7% to 6,253,904 in the first ten months of 2006, with 5,946,192 arriving at the Outer Harbour; the majority of these visitors were from Hong Kong (60.1%) and Mainland China (27.7%). Visitor arrivals at the Inner Harbour jumped 90.5% to 307,712. At the same time, the cumulative number of visitors arriving through the Border Gate soared 25.6% to 10,620,949. The majority of the visitors came from Mainland China (73.0%) and Hong Kong (19.1%). In addition, visitor arrivals by air were 1,010,769, up 15.7% compared with the same period of last year, with 1,002,561 arriving at the Macao International Airport (+16.0%). Visitors from Taiwan, China (55.1%) and Mainland China (20.1%) were the major users of this access.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service showed that value of total retail sales was estimated at MOP2.65 billion in the third quarter of 2006. Retail sales of watches, clocks & jewellery took the largest share of 14% of the total, which were followed by sales of motor vehicles (12%); goods in supermarkets (11%); goods in department stores (11%); adults' clothing (7%) and automotive fuels (6%). In this quarter, value of retail sales rose by 21% from MOP2.19 billion in the third quarter of 2005, with marked increases in the sales of watches, clocks & jewellery, goods in supermarkets, goods in department stores, fuels for household use, household electric appliances and goods in pharmacies. In comparison with the MOP2.54 billion sales in the second quarter, value of retail sales in this quarter increased by 4%. In the first three quarters of 2006, value of total retail sales amounted to MOP7.67 billion, up by 19% over the same period of 2005. A comparison of the retailers’ opinions indicated that about 40% reported decrease in the sales volume in the third quarter of 2006, down by 7 percentage points over the previous quarter; 60% reported that the sales volume remained stable or increase. In terms of retail prices, about 54% and 19% reported the prices were stable and showed increase whereas 27% reported the prices decreased. Compared with the same quarter of 2005, about 55% of the retailers said that the stock level was normal in the third quarter of 2006, while 30% indicated that the stock level was low. Regarding the prospect for the fourth quarter of 2006, about 79% of the retailers expected the sales volume to increase or remain stable, and 21% expected it to decrease. Meanwhile, about 89% expected the retail prices to remain stable or increase, while 11% expected it to decrease.
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Statistics and Census Service released the results of Employment Survey for the third quarter of 2006. Principal indicators such as the labour force participation rate, unemployment rate and underemployment rate have been published in the brief report in October. In the third quarter of 2006, total labour force was estimated at 282,000, of which the employed and unemployed populations were 271,000 and 11,000 respectively. Compared with the previous quarter, the employed and unemployed populations increased 7,300 and 400 respectively. Regarding the employed population, 53.8% were male. Analyzed by industry, the majority of the employed population were engaging in Recreational, cultural, gaming & other services (20.4%), Wholesale & retail trade (12.9%), Hotels, restaurants & similar activities (12.3%), as well as the Construction sector (12.0%). In terms of occupation, 22.4% of the employed population were Clerks (including casino dealers, floorpersons, betting service operators, etc.); 20.6% were Service & sales workers and 17.9% were Unskilled workers. The median actual hours worked per week was 47.2 hours and the median monthly employment earnings was MOP6,795. Within the unemployed, 86.5% were searching for a new job, while 13.5% had never worked and were searching for their first job. With regard to the educational attainment, 11.6% had lower than primary education; 24.7% had primary education; 28.4% had junior secondary education; 19.4% had senior secondary education and 15.8% had tertiary education. For the unemployed that were searching for a new job: Analyzed by the previous industry engaged, the majority had worked in Hotels, restaurants & similar activities (22.8%), Wholesale & retail trade (16.3%), Recreational, cultural, gaming & other services (16.0%), as well as the Construction sector (14.9%). In terms of the previous occupation, 37.7% were Service & sales workers; Unskilled workers and Clerks accounted for 18.8% and 15.9% respectively.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service showed that in the third quarter of 2006, construction of 18 buildings was started, with 309 units and 175,810 m² in gross floor area, down 78.8% and 60.7% respectively over the third quarter of 2005, but up 103.3% and 38.1% respectively in comparison with the second quarter of 2006. A sum of 714 parking spaces for cars and 152 parking spaces for motorcycles were provided. In the first three quarters of 2006, the newly started buildings provided 1,833 units and 589,537 m² in gross floor area, down 24.1% and 61.9% year-on-year respectively. In this quarter, a total of 27 buildings were completed and extended, involving 2,049 units and 536,745 m² in gross floor area, up 1.5 times and 4.9 times respectively over the third quarter of 2005, and up 3.1 times and 55.3% respectively in comparison with the second quarter of 2006. A sum of 2,691 parking spaces for cars and 430 parking spaces for motorcycles were provided. In the first three quarters of the year, the completed and extended buildings provided 2,904 units and 1,062,959 m² in gross floor area, up 2.2 times and 4.9 times respectively over the same period of 2005. In addition, the number of residential buildings completed and extended was 21, supplying 1,904 building units, which went up 1.6 times and 3.2 times over the third quarter of 2005 and the second quarter of 2006 respectively. The housing units were mainly T3 (1,379 units), accounting for 72.4% of the total, followed by T2 (472 units). The number of housing units completed in the first three quarters of 2006 was 2,681 units, showing a year-on-year increase of 2.5 times.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, has called on the residents of Macao to embrace innovation, take responsibilities and work with the Government to steer Macao towards becoming a harmonious society. Presenting the 2007 Policy Address in the Legislative Assembly today, Mr Ho said the Government would continue to enhance the quality of life and adaptability of the residents during Macao's evolution. As the gaming industry continued to grow, the Chief Executive emphasised that this was only part of the city's tourism industry, and it was not Macao's vision to become a mere gaming centre in the region. He pointed out that the Government would provide more incentives to promote the co-ordinated and healthy development of the gaming industry and other sectors. The Government would continue to listen to opinions on the development of the gaming industry by setting up a consultative panel consisting of representatives from different sectors. On the other hand, Mr Ho highlighted the Government's concern about the disparity between the rich and the poor, saying that the consolidation of the social welfare and social security system would be one of the priorities of the Government in next year. One of the measures would be the introduction of a minimum wage scheme for those employed by contractors to provide cleansing or security guard services to Government institutions. Regarding the reforms on legal and public administration, the Chief Executive said that the Government would propose a cross-year work plan to the public in the first half of next year to accelerate their progress. Meanwhile, a comprehensive accountability system for public servants would be established to strengthen their sense of responsibility. The Government would also restructure its existing consultation system and enhance the transparency of the decision-making process of its policies. In view of the shortage in human resources, the Government would continue to promote the training of labour, and step up introduction of bills regulating the protection of local labour's rights and the introduction of imported labour. Furthermore, the Government would consider establishing a special-purpose department to address the shortage. To enhance the transportation system in the city, the Government would step up the introduction of the light rail rapid transit system and the construction of a cross harbour tunnel. On the political system, Mr Ho announced that the Government would complete the drafting of the methods for selecting the third Chief Executive and the forming of the Fourth Term Legislative Assembly in next year, submitting the proposals to the Legislative Assembly in 2008. The Government would also propose a bill to the Legislative Assembly for the increase of civil servants’ salaries by 4.76%, raising the salary reference point from 52.5 patacas to 55 patacas. Moreover, tentative cuts or suspension on salaries tax, business tax, property tax and other social welfare measures would continue, to benefit the public. The Chief Executive will meet legislators in the Assembly tomorrow to answer questions on his Policy Address.
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The Chinese-language and Portuguese-language editions of Macao Yearbook 2006, an annual publication compiled and edited by the Government Information Bureau (GCS) of the Macao SAR, will hit the shelf on 15 November 2006. The Macao Yearbook outlines major events, progress and changes made in the course of Macao’s political, economic, social and cultural development on a yearly and systematic basis. It provides detailed and up-to-date information for all who wish to study and understand the territory. The Macao Yearbook has been published since 2002, and it is available in three languages, namely Chinese, Portuguese and English. Comprising 177 photographs, the Macao Yearbook 2006 is divided into five sections: Administrative Priorities of the MSAR Government; Calendar of Events; Review of the MSAR; Overview of the MSAR; and Appendices. Consisting of 16 chapters, the Overview of the MSAR presents information on the political and administrative system; legal and judicial system; external relations; economy; gaming industry; tourism; public order; education; culture and sport; health and social welfare; media, communications and information technology; land, infrastructure, housing and public utilities; transport; geography, environment and population; religion and customs; and history. Meanwhile in order to trace Macao’s changes in a visual manner, the GCS co-organised a photographic competition entitled “New Faces of Macao” for the third time with eight local photography organisations in early 2006. The Macao Yearbook 2006 has been enriched by 15 winning entries from the competition. In a bid to facilitate the accessibility to the Macao Yearbook, the GCS has launched the electronic version of the yearbook while continuously improving its print edition. The yearbooks from 2002 to 2005 are now available electronically (in PDF format) in the following web site: http://yearbook.gcs.gov.mo/. The 545-page Chinese and 637-page Portuguese editions of the Macao Yearbook 2006 can be purchased at the following places at 120 patacas or 120 Hong Kong dollars per copy: major local bookstores; the Macao Post Office (Macao Post)’s Philatelic Division, Rua do Campo Branch, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal Branch, Macau International Airport Branch, and Nova Taipa Branch; Government Printing Bureau and its outlet at the Public Administrative Building on Rua do Campo. The English edition of the Macao Yearbook 2006 is in the process of printing and binding, and will be available for sale in due course. During the promotion period lasting until 31 March 2007, a 20-percent discount will be offered to any purchase of Macao Yearbook 2006. Anyone who buys the 2006 edition will also enjoy a 50-percent discount on the purchase of any of the previous editions (i.e. Macao Yearbook 2005, Macao Yearbook 2004, Macao Yearbook 2003 and Macao Yearbook 2002).
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours totalled 183,697 in September 2006, down 5.5% year-on-year. Among them, visitors from Mainland China (140,220) dropped 6.9%, while those from Japan (8,773) and Hong Kong (8,636) rose 47.8% and 7.6% respectively over September 2005. In the first nine months of 2006, visitor arrivals in package tours grew 8.8% over the same period of 2005 to 2,099,627. Number of Macao residents travelling in package tours was 14,287 in September 2006, a significant year-on-year decrease of 40.7%. Mainland China, Thailand and Taiwan, China were the three more popular tour itineraries, which accounted for 76.1%, 6.1% and 4.6% of the total respectively. In the first nine months of 2006, Macao residents travelling in package tours decreased 9.4% to 203,982 compared with the same period of 2005. Meanwhile, 27,072 residents travelled under own arrangements using services provided by travel agencies, a decrease of 6.5% over September 2005; Mainland China (34.2%), Hong Kong (30.4%) and Taiwan, China (16.5%) were the major destinations. In the first nine months of 2006, Macao residents travelled under such arrangements increased 15.7% to 275,205 from the corresponding period of 2005. At the end of September 2006, number of guest rooms available in the hotel industry registered a year-on-year increase of 1,732 rooms (+16.2%) to 12,411 rooms. In addition, a total of 365,094 guests checked into hotels and similar establishments, a growth of 12.1% compared with September 2005. The average hotel occupancy rate was 67.2%, representing a marginal growth of 0.3 percentage point over September 2005; the highest average was in the 4-star hotels, at 73.6%. The average length of stay of hotel guests showed an increase of 0.01 night, at 1.18 nights. The majority of the guests came from Mainland China (53.0%), Hong Kong (28.9%) and Taiwan, China (3.1%). In the first nine months of 2006, the number of hotel guests increased 11.6% over the same period of 2005 to 3,343,161. In the first nine months of 2006, hotel guests (excluding Macao residents) accounted for 41.1% of the total number of tourists, which was lower than the 42.8% recorded in the same period of 2005.
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