MACAU, June 30 - Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that both the general unemployment rate (2.8%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (3.6%) for March - May 2023 held steady from the previous period (February - April 2023). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 1.8%.

The labour force living in Macao totalled 369,800 and the labour force participation rate was 67.5%. Total employment was 359,300 and the number of employed residents totalled 281,200, down by 1,400 and 1,000 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in the Construction sector and Wholesale & Retail Trade decreased, while that in Gaming & Junket Activities increased.

Number of the unemployed was 10,500, similar to that in the previous period. Among the unemployed searching for a new job, most of them were previously engaged in the Construction sector and Gaming & Junket Activities. Meanwhile, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job increased by 0.7 percentage points to 4.6% of the total unemployed.

Number of the underemployed went down by 1,100 from the previous period to 6,800, with the majority working in the Construction sector and the Transport & Storage sector.

In comparison with March - May 2022, the labour force participation rate, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 0.8, 0.6 and 1.6 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 88,300 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 was 458,100, a decrease of 1,400 from the previous period.