26.5% of Macau’s underemployed population is related to the gaming sector

Employment in Macau’s gaming industry fell nearly 5.0 per cent quarter-on-quarter to about 72,700 in the first quarter.

Macau.- -The Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) has reported the results of a survey that found workers in Macau’s gaming industry accounted for 26.5 per cent of the city’s underemployed population in the first quarter of the year. The figure, which represents 2,800 people, was down 54.8 per cent when compared to the fourth quarter of the year 2021.

According to the survey, the main reason for underemployment was that workers were placed on unpaid leave or partially paid leave by the casino operators. Employment in Macau’s gaming industry fell nearly 5.0 per cent quarter-on-quarter to about 72,700 in the first quarter.

The overall unemployment rate in Macau rose by 0.4 percentage points month-on-month to 3.5 per cent. The figure stands at 13,300, compared to 11,900 in the fourth quarter of 2021. 

By the end of 2021, the Macau Special Administrative Region’s unemployment rate had reached 2.9 per cent, the highest level since 2009. In January, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) is unlikely to exceed pre-pandemic levels until 2025. 

85.1% of former junket operator staff in Macau remain unemployed

The Integrated Service Centre of the Macau Gaming Industry Employees Home has published the results of a survey revealing that 85.1 per cent of former junket operator employees remain unemployed after the majority of VIP rooms closed their doors.

Meanwhile, 8.1 per cent found jobs at non-gaming companies, 3.8 per cent were working with gaming operators or other junket companies and 1.9 per cent had started their own companies. The rest are either seeking to pursue further education or not looking for a job.

According to the poll, the top three reasons why former junket employees failed to find new jobs were a lack of job openings due to poor economic conditions, a lack of diversity in their work experience and a lack of professional skills.