Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers decreased by 1.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP787 in the first quarter of 2022. The average daily wages of local workers (MOP968) and non-resident workers (MOP716) went down by 1.9% and 0.3% respectively.
In terms of main occupations, the average daily wages of welders (MOP823), concrete formwork carpenters (MOP762) and structural iron erectors (MOP778) fell by 8.9%, 6.9% and 6.6% respectively quarter-to-quarter, while the wages of painters (MOP858), air-conditioning mechanics (MOP902) and water/gas pipe installers (MOP830) rose by 6.8%, 3.8% and 2.7% respectively.
After discounting the effect of inflation, the real wage index of construction workers (95.8) in the first quarter of 2022 dropped by 3.2% quarter-to-quarter, with that of local construction workers (97.7) decreasing by 0.4%.
As regards construction materials, both the average prices of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars (MOP6,640 per tonne) and concrete (MOP1,094 per cubic metre) in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 2.4% quarter-to-quarter. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings rose by 2.0% quarter-to-quarter to 125.0; the price indices of emulsion paint, equipment and pipes grew by 8.8%, 4.1% and 3.8% respectively, whereas the price index of sand dropped by 1.0%.