Wages of construction workers and prices of construction materials for the 1st Quarter 2015

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers was MOP726 in the first quarter of 2015, rising at a slower pace of 1.8% quarter-to-quarter due to less intense activity for some major construction projects in Cotai nearing completion. The average daily wage of local construction workers decreased by 2.1% to MOP935, while that of non-resident construction workers rose slightly by 1.2% to MOP614. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers was MOP731, up by 1.7% quarter-to-quarter. The average daily wages of structural iron erectors (MOP935) and plumbers (MOP719) increased by 17.0% and 9.8% respectively. However, the average daily wages of electricians and electrical workers (MOP738) and air-conditioning mechanics (MOP738) decreased by 2.5% and 3.3%. Meanwhile, the average daily wage of unskilled workers was MOP393, up by 1.3%. The real wage index of construction workers and local construction workers registered slower growth or decrease in the first quarter of 2015, following the respective quarter-to-quarter surge of 4.3% and 6.2% in the fourth quarter of 2014. In the first quarter of 2015, the wage index of construction workers (98.4) rose modestly by 0.3% quarter-to-quarter in real terms; meanwhile, the wage index of local construction workers decreased by 5.3% to 122.5, slightly higher than the index (121.7) in the third quarter of 2014. As regards construction materials, the average price of concrete increased by 6.4% quarter-to-quarter, at MOP745 per cubic metre in the first quarter of 2015; the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars was MOP4,687 per tonne, down by 1.8%. Meanwhile, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings (131.4) in the first quarter of 2015 increased by 1.3% quarter-to-quarter.