Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers was MOP608 in the first quarter of 2011, down by 1.8% quarter-to-quarter. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers (MOP625) and unskilled workers (MOP352) decreased by 2.0% and 3.0% respectively. Among the skilled & semi-skilled workers, the average daily wage of electricians & electrical workers decreased by 3.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP735; however, wages of structural iron erectors and plant operators amounted to MOP679 and MOP654 respectively, up by 5.3% and 8.3%. After discounting the effect of inflation, wage index of construction workers was 97.5 in real terms in the first quarter of 2011, down by 3.9% over the previous quarter. As regards construction materials, prices of steel increased continuously; the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars rose by 15.7% quarter-to-quarter to MOP5,778 per tonne; moreover, the average price of Portland cement increased by 5.7% to MOP683 per tonne. In the first quarter of 2011, price index of construction materials for residential buildings rose by 8.3% quarter-to-quarter to 156.0; in particular, price indices of steel, electric wires and timber increased by 15.6%, 12.7% and 4.2% respectively. Compared with the same quarter of 2010, price index of construction materials for residential buildings registered an increase of 17.8%.
