Wages of construction workers and prices of construction materials for the 4th quarter of 2015

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 2.9% quarter-to-quarter to MOP793 in the fourth quarter of 2015. The average daily wage of local construction workers (MOP1,000) rose by 2.0% quarter-to-quarter, while that of non-resident construction workers (MOP668) went up by 1.1%. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers was MOP798, up by 2.8% quarter-to-quarter. With an increase in demand for workers to carry out interior finishing works of large-scale hotels in Cotai, the average daily wages of carpenters (MOP1,053), bricklayers and plasterers (MOP765) and electricians & electrical workers (MOP838) increased by 13.1%, 10.9% and 2.4% quarter-to-quarter respectively. However, the average daily wage of unskilled workers was MOP393, down by 1.3%. After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers (102.9) for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased by 1.0% quarter-to-quarter in real terms, while that of local construction workers (127.3) rose by 0.7%. For the whole year of 2015, the average wage index of construction workers (100.3) increased by 6.6% year-on-year in real terms, and that of local construction workers (125.3) rose by 5.3%. As regards construction materials, the average price of concrete increased by 2.6% quarter-to-quarter, at MOP804 per cubic metre in the fourth quarter of 2015; the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars decreased by 4.6% to MOP4,324 per tonne. Meanwhile, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings (131.7) in the fourth quarter of 2015 dropped slightly by 0.4% quarter-to-quarter; the average price index for 2015 (131.7) rose by 2.1% year-on-year.