Employment survey for December 2022 - February 2023

MACAU, March 24 - The local employment situation continued to improve. Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the general unemployment rate (3.3%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (4.1%) for December 2022 - February 2023 decreased by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points respectively from the previous period (November 2022 - January 2023). Besides, the underemployment rate dropped further by 0.5 percentage points to 2.7%.

The labour force living in Macao totalled 372,100 and the labour force participation rate was 68.3%. Total employment fell by 1,100 from the previous period to 359,900, on account of a drop in number of non-resident workers living in Macao. Number of employed residents totalled 282,200, an increase of 200. Analysed by industry, employment in Wholesale Trade and Gaming & Junket Activities decreased, while that in Education increased.

Number of the unemployed dropped by 600 from the previous period to 12,200. Among the unemployed searching for a new job, most of them were previously engaged in Gaming & Junket Activities and in the Construction sector. Meanwhile, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job decreased by 1.5 percentage points to 9.3% of the total unemployed.

Number of the underemployed went down by 2,000 from the previous period to 9,900, with a notable drop in the number of those engaged in Gaming & Junket Activities.

In comparison with December 2021 - February 2022, the unemployment rate stayed steady, while the labour force participation rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 1.0 and 0.2 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 84,600 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 456,800, a decrease of 600 from the previous period.