Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the general unemployment rate, the unemployment rate of local residents and the underemployment rate for May-July 2021 were 2.9%, 3.9% and 3.5% respectively. All three indicators remained steady compared to the previous period (April-June 2021).
The labour force living in Macao totalled 383,900 and the labour force participation rate was 67.9%. Total employment was 372,900 and the number of employed residents totalled 275,000, down by 3,000 and 1,400 respectively from the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities and the Transport & Storage sector decreased, while that in Gaming & Junket Activities increased.
Number of the unemployed decreased by 100 from the previous period to 11,000. Among the unemployed searching for a new job, most of them were previously engaged in Gaming & Junket Activities and in the Construction sector. Meanwhile, with fresh graduates entering the labour market, the proportion of new labour market entrants seeking their first job increased by 1.7 percentage points to 9.2% of the total unemployed.
Number of the underemployed fell by 200 from the previous period to 13,400, with the majority working in Gaming & Junket Activities and in the Construction sector.
In comparison with May-July 2020, both the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points, while the labour force participation rate dropped by 2.6 percentage points.
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. Based on the movement records, an average of about 83,000 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 466,900, a decrease of 4,400 from the previous period.